Don't Forget About Us
by I'm Still So Deep
Summary: Set during the events of the Buu saga. As Bulma and Vegeta face unwanted separation, they reflect on the many memories they created together until they are finally able to be reunited once again.
1. Passion

Don't Forget About Us

Chapter One: Passion

**Edited on 11/5/15, _PLEASE READ THIS IT'S IMPORTANT!_ Hello, so as I have stated on my profile, I have been reported to the administrators for posting MA rated content, and in order to keep my account on here, I must edit all of my fics containing lemons, or else they will be deleted altogether. I reaaaally don't want to do this, but I have to. This story, in it's complete, uncensored format, is posted on my Archive of Our Own account under my username Im_Still_So_Deep**

**I apologize for the inconvenience, and it sucks that I am no longer allowed to post lemons on here. :(**

A/N: Well, this was an idea I've had in my head since I was 13, and it took me ten years to get around to typing it (hint as to why it gets its title from a Mariah Carey song from 2005 lol). But better late than never, right? This will be a multi-chapter fic, and each chapter will center around different memories Bulma and Vegeta remember about each other throughout their relationship as they go through periods of separation throughout the Buu saga (my personal favorite saga so that's another reason I wanted to write this). I hope you enjoy this first chapter!

Disclaimer: I do not own DBZ or any of its characters.

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Vegeta released a harsh breath as he stared at the pink tub of lard that approached him with a smile that could be described as a mix of malice and innocence, oddly enough. He had just finished talking with Piccolo, who had informed him of what his fate would be if he did not survive this upcoming fight with Majin Buu. Yet, for some reason, Vegeta didn't fret about the possibility of spending an eternity in hell. He was certainly not ready for his life to be over, but if this attack he was about to launch was the only way to rid the world of this bubblegum-freak, then he would accept his destination in the afterlife. He knew he didn't deserve to go to a better place, especially after the repulsive behavior he had exhibited earlier that day at the tournament, where he had killed all those innocent people without hesitation.

He had thought that falling under Babidi's mind control and going back to his old, cruel ways was what his heart truly yearned for. It didn't take him too long to realize that he had made a mistake. He found that acting so recklessly and hardhearted in the same manner he used to had only left him with that same empty feeling that used to plague him before he came to Earth and met. . .her. His priorities had changed, and he could never fully return to being the wicked warrior he was previously; it no longer felt rewarding to him.

This was the first time in his entire existence that he could remember thinking about somebody other than himself. He had always been solely concerned with his own desires and needs; he was a mighty prince, and everyone else was beneath him. Emotions and attachments had always been seen as a weakness from his perspective, and he never wanted to change and 'soften' up. But he had, big time. And for a long while, he despised this transformation he had undergone gradually these last few years. He hated how he had settled into a comfortable life on Earth, which was the last place he ever thought he would adapt to. He hated how he had allowed a human woman to get inside his heart and break down the icy barriers surrounding it. He thought that falling under Babidi's spell would remedy all these feelings and emotions he had developed while living on this shit-hole planet, and that he could freely go back to not giving a damn about anyone or anything. What he wasn't ready for was how much of a conscience he had developed these last few years; senseless violence didn't bring him the same thrill like it used to. He could now admit that he was forever changed by the love that both Bulma and Trunks had shown him, and that they truly did mean more to him than anything else; he now had no shame in confessing that.

"How did I get to this point?" Vegeta mused to himself as his eyes narrowed at Majin Buu, who was taunting him with some gibberish. "What led me to be willing to sacrifice myself for my son. . .and for Bulma? At first, she meant nothing to me. Absolutely _nothing_. She was just at the right place at the right time. . ."

*flashback to the three year time period before the Androids' arrival*

"_What a long day!" Bulma sighed as she exited her lab, wiping sweat from her brow with the back of her hand. She had spent all day working on blueprints for some new inventions that her father had assigned to her while he was out of town for the weekend with her mother, and she was eager to take a nice, long shower to reward herself for a hard day's work. As she walked upstairs to her bathroom, she became aware of how quiet the house was without her parents; it was slightly eerie walking down a dark hallway while being home alone. But she wasn't truly alone. A certain Saiyan Prince was lurking around somewhere, either in the kitchen or in the Gravity Room, since the only two things he ever did was train and eat. And sometimes sleep, but that was a very rare occurrence. She wondered if he ever got bored with his usual routine, especially since he kept to himself most of the time._

"_Nah, I'm sure he likes being a loner," she mumbled to herself as she made her way into the bathroom and shut the door behind her. She strolled over to the shower and turned it on, testing the temperature of the water with her hand until it was practically scalding, which to her was the perfect temperature. A hot shower was one of her most favorite things; she found it soothing. She stripped out of her clothes and carelessly tossed them into the laundry hamper before practically jumping into the steaming shower._

_She stood directly under the showerhead, contentedly welcoming the warm water that cascaded off of her peachy skin. She then reached for her bottle of shampoo and lathered it up in her hands, evenly distributing it throughout her dampened turquoise locks. Her mind began to wander as she continued to massage her scalp, thinking about the way her life was going. All of her friends were constantly training for the battle with the Androids that were destined to attack in a couple of years, and because of that she never got to have much of a social life since everyone was too busy training. Also, three months ago she had decided to end things for good with Yamcha after accepting the fact that their relationship had run its course. They just no longer connected like they used to when they were younger, and she knew her decision was for the best._

_Yamcha would always be her friend, since they had been on so many adventures together, but they just didn't work as a couple, and they both knew it was time to move on. She had always been very independent and didn't rely on a man for her happiness, so she wasn't too distraught about her newfound single status. Still, she did miss having the company of a man in her life, but there really wasn't anyone out there who appealed to her that much. Well. . .there was someone, but he never gave her the time of day, and probably never would._

"_I don't need to be thinking about that stupid, arrogant jerk anyway!" she mentally scolded herself as she rinsed the last of the shampoo out of her hair and turned the water off. She ringed out her medium-length locks before opening the shower door to reach out for a towel on the towel rack, but to her immediate agitation, she found that there was nothing there. She scowled as she stepped out of the shower and eyeballed the empty rack, ignoring the puddle that was beginning to form beneath her as beads of water dripped off of her body and landed on the tile floor. Her mother had apparently forgotten to stock the bathroom up with clean towels before she left the house earlier that day. _

_A heavy sigh escaped her lips, shivering slightly as she felt a draft of cold air sweep over her bare body. She hated nothing more than being cold __**and**__ wet, so she needed a towel desperately. No one was home, except for Vegeta, and he was probably still training away, so she decided to do the only logical thing: streak through the house naked down to the laundry room. Desperate times called for desperate measures, right? She cracked the door open, making sure that Vegeta wasn't lurking around somewhere, and once she saw the coast was clear, she sprinted down the stairs to the laundry room. She nearly twisted her ankle as she skidded into the room, letting out a shriek as she grabbed a hold of the door frame to steady herself. Once she regained her composure, she grabbed a clean towel from on top of the dryer, and wrapped it around herself, relishing in how soft and warm the cotton fabric felt against her skin. _

_As she was making her way back up the stairs, a figure walked right out in front of her, causing her heart to leap into her throat. _

"_Woman, what the hell are you doing?"_

_She looked up to see Vegeta with his arms crossed over his bare chest that was shimmering with sweat, his muscles slightly bulged from his training session. He was wearing nothing but spandex shorts that were tight on him. __**Really**__ tight. She mentally slapped herself for paying so much attention to his body. . .his perfect, delicious-looking body. Dammit! She looked down at the floor to prevent herself from drooling any longer, her wet bangs falling into her eyes. "My mom forgot to put fresh towels in the bathroom before she left this morning with my dad. . .sooo, I had to streak through the house to get one."_

_Vegeta shifted his weight to the other foot and shook his head. He had been minding his own business after his training session and was getting something to eat when he heard loud stomps coming down the stairs. When he went to investigate he saw her blur past him down the hall in the nude, leaving him stunned at her actions. Did the foolish woman have any shame at all? "It's a good thing you found that towel. You disrobed is a sight no one wants to see."_

_Bulma felt a vein about to explode in her forehead as he spun around to walk away, that irritatingly smug smirk plastered on his face. But her anger receded as she thought of a comeback, one she knew would start argument, but she didn't care. "Really? Because I caught you checking me out just now when you thought I wasn't looking, as you have many other times before as well."_

_Vegeta immediately turned back to her, narrowing his eyes at her, but she could see him becoming slightly disconcerted, as though she had just let out some big secret. "I have never 'checked you out', you vulgar woman. You're the idiot that runs around the house in the nude like some sort of mad woman. You have zero appeal to me, mentally or physically."_

"_Keep telling yourself that."_

"_I don't have to keep telling myself anything! And besides, you're the one that gawks at me all the time. You could at least make it less obvious."_

_Bulma froze, heat creeping up to her cheeks. Did she really make it that obvious? It was hard NOT to stare when he walked around half-naked all the time; what girl wouldn't take special notice of a physique like his? When she didn't speak he tossed her another satisfied smirk, which goaded her. "Is smirking the only thing you know how to do?!"_

_That only made his smirk deepen. _

_She let out a huff and attempted to walk by him, but he reached out and grabbed her tiny wrist, immobilizing her in place. His touch was setting her whole body on fire, but she did her best to ignore it. "I can do other things," he whispered into her ear in a low, sexy voice, his warm breath sending a pleasurable chill all the way down to her toes. He let out a chuckle at her reddened face and then released her from his grasp as he began to walk up the stairs, finding immense satisfaction in teasing her like that._

_Bulma watched him walk away with a mix of arousal and disappointment. She wouldn't let him just walk away after saying something like that. Plus, she hadn't flirted with anybody in quite a long while, and she wanted to see Vegeta squirm with discomfort. "Oh, Vegeta," she hummed, and once he begrudgingly turned his attention back to her from the top of the stairs, she boldly lowered her towel, to where her large breasts were practically spilling out of it. "Are you __**sure**__ you don't find me attractive?"_

_She suppressed a laugh as his eyes became wide, his mouth gaping open. His gaze on her made her feel as though she was cloaked in liquid fire, and she could feel her heart rate speed up as his dark orbs dipped up and down the length of her body slowly. He opened his mouth to say something, but then clamped his jaw shut and instead stomped down the hall towards his room, slamming the door behind him. She freely released her laughter and strolled up the stairs to her room. For someone who claimed not to find her attractive he sure did get really hot and bothered just then. She entered her room and slipped into a pair of pajamas before sliding into bed, eager to give into sleep. She eventually dozed off into a deep sleep, but the sound of her door opening made her jump up. When she saw who was lingering in the doorway, she felt her breath escape her completely, her heart thudding loudly in the quiet room._

"_Vegeta?"_

_He didn't know why he was there, standing in the human woman's room, which as he looked around he found that it was a total mess with things thrown around everywhere, the exact opposite of his pristine room. His gaze flickered over to her sitting up in the bed, eyeing her as she stared back at him questioningly, a patch of moonlight coming in through the window and highlighting the striking features of her face. Vegeta had never had a hard time with self control around her before, but earlier he had nearly lost it when the woman had tempted him the way she did by nearly exposing her breasts to him. He obviously was aware that she was indeed alluring, and it was hard not to take notice when she pranced around the majority of the time in revealing clothing. Or no clothing at all as he had witnessed earlier. But she was a vile human, with a loud, piercing voice that annoyed him to no end, and that's why he didn't want to admit to her that she was physically appealing. She was already vain enough as it was about her looks, and he wasn't going to add to it. _

_He knew he couldn't stand her presence for even a second, so he wasn't sure if it was a wise choice for him to even be in her room. Yet, he had needs that hadn't been met in a long while, and the woman enticing him like that earlier had stirred something up inside him that he just couldn't shake off. He knew what he wanted, and he had to have it. She was no longer involved with that pathetic excuse of a warrior, and she really did make it evident that she wanted him as well, so he didn't see the issue. _

_This would just be a one-time thing. And nothing more._

_Some invisible force pushed him forward, and he walked over to her bed where she was still staring at him in anticipation, noticing how she was fidgeting with her hands in her lap. Once his knees met the edge of the bed, he sat down next to her and stared at her for a long while, his face unreadable as he did so. Bulma just stared back all the while, not even daring to move. Suddenly, before he could even realize it, impulse took over, and he pressed his lips to hers as hard as he could. Bulma released a stifled sound of confusion against his lips, being caught completely off-guard at his actions. Did he even realize what he was doing? She immediately took notice of how warm and soft his lips were, the intensity of the simple contact leaving her lightheaded. She brazenly kissed him back, parting her lips so that she could give his slithering tongue access into her mouth. _

_The second his tongue danced across hers she released a moan that she couldn't contain, and Vegeta smirked at her response, gently pushing her back down against the mattress as their tongues battled for dominance. Bulma allowed his tongue to win the fight just because she wanted him to explore every inch of the soft cavern of her mouth, a warmth budding between her thighs every time his mouth overlapped hers. She didn't even realize how deep her attraction was to him until this kiss, and she wanted to see just how much farther things would go. Such a thought made her whimper into his mouth, fully surrendering to him so that he could do with her as he pleased. She had always imagined what it would be like to be intimate with Vegeta, and she was excited to see if reality was better than the fantasies that her mind had conjured up._

{**THIS IS WHERE THE LEMON USED TO BE. THIS STORY IS UNCENSORED ON MY AO3 ACCOUNT, PLEASE READ IT ON THERE. SORRY ABOUT THIS :(}**

_Bulma's sapphire eyes opened slowly as she heard him rustle around, and she turned her head to be greeted with his perfect backside that was dripping with sweat. His firm, sexy backside that she wanted to run her hands all over again. She and Yamcha had had sex while they were together, but it couldn't even hold a candle to what she had just experienced with Vegeta. The colossal gratification she had experienced while her body was rubbed up against Vegeta's was the most exhilarating thing she had ever experienced in her life. She was really hoping this wouldn't be a one-time thing because she now found herself addicted to his body, and she wanted to satisfy her cravings as much as possible. "Vegeta. . .you don't have to leave just yet," she spoke quietly as he slipped into his boxers._

_Vegeta froze at the sound of her voice, noticing how pleading it sounded. He stared ahead, refusing to look back at her, knowing that if he did the sight of her would allow him to lose control all over again. He didn't want her to get the wrong idea about why he came to her tonight. He had needs that needed to be met, which was accomplished, and it was to be a one-time thing. However, since she had performed so well, he wouldn't mind it occurring again. All he wanted (and needed) from her was sex, but he knew she likely wanted more from him, and possibly desired for him to take the place of that disgraceful former mate of hers. But he refused to ever let that happen. This was strictly just sex, and that's all anything between them would ever be. He had to make that clear to her._

_He slowly looked over his shoulder at her, heat coursing through his body as he saw her sit up in the bed. Her breasts, which had visible bite marks on them, were exposed as the lower half of her body was covered by the sheets. He was surprised to find himself resenting the fact that he was not able to see all of her. He shook his head as he realized his eyes were remaining far too long on her body and began to walk towards the door, hearing her let out a somber sigh. As his hand rested on the doorknob, he looked back at her again, and his raven eyes met with her sapphire ones. He had never noticed before how inviting those endless ocean of blue eyes were, as though they were peering into his very soul. And he hated it._

_"Woman. . .you need to know that there will never be anything between us. This is it," he said huskily, his expression darkening. _

_Bulma felt his words sting at her heart. She didn't know why she should even be shocked; he was a selfish brute that always thought about his own wants and needs, and clearly he had just gotten what he was looking for from her. So why did it still hurt her so much? She decided not to ponder on it, and simply nodded her head in response, laying back down in the bed and tucking the covers up under her chin. _

_Vegeta took one last glance at her, wondering why he felt as though he was internally battling with himself, and then closed the door. He didn't ever want to allow himself to get caught up in the foolish and pointless emotions like humans did so he knew he would have to be on guard while he was around her. He refused to ever let his walls down and become soft like Kakarot. Such a thought made him quiver with disgust. Feelings and emotions were a weakness, good for nothing, and he refused to be dragged into it by that annoying human woman. _

_She means nothing to me. And it will stay that way._

_And with that last thought he slammed his bedroom door behind him and drifted off into a dreamless sleep. _

*end of flashback*

Vegeta was brought back into the present moment, dust flying all around him as he powered up the final attack he would ever launch. Majin Buu's closed eyes widened at the rush of golden heat hitting him in face, looking down at himself in fear of what was about to happen.

Vegeta let out a sigh, and his thoughts drifted to Bulma one last time. He hated that he didn't get to say goodbye to her like he had done with Trunks earlier, but he hoped that this sacrifice he was making for her sake would make up for the evil things he had done earlier that day. And for how terribly he had treated her at times over the years as well. All she ever wanted from him was affection, and he had hardly given it to her. They were a lot closer in recent years than they were in the beginning, but still, he was not the ideal husband in any way. He was angry that it had taken him until this very moment to accept what she truly meant to him, and he hated how for so many years he was in denial of his feelings. He didn't even know where or who he would be if she would have never entered his life and loved him the way that she had. She had believed the best in him when no one else did, and he would forever be in debt to her for that. He was thankful for every moment he had spent with her and vowed to hold onto the memories they made together for all eternity.

She had started out as nothing to him, nothing at all. And now, in his final moments, he was not ashamed to admit she was his everything.

And not even in death would that change.

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A/N: Don't worry, this isn't a one-shot, so it's not going to end on a somber note. I will have another chapter posted soon ^_^


	2. Emotions

Chapter Two: Emotions

**ANOTHER LEMON HAS BEEN CENSORED IN THIS CHAPTER UNFORTUNATELY :(((**

A/N: Wow, first off I just want to thank everyone for their support of this story! I am overwhelmed by all the kind reviews and feedback. You guys are awesome :D I know I am not the fastest updater (as I have been told numerous times by readers of my other fics lol), but I'm glad I got this up just as Revival of F is coming out :D. Please enjoy this chapter!

Disclaimer: I do not own DBZ or any of its characters.

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"How can he be gone. . .just like that? I didn't even get to say goodbye to him."

Bulma wiped the tears away from her cheeks with the back of her hands, her breathing still not completely stable. She was standing at the edge of Dende's Lookout, forlornly peering down at the seemingly endless clouds. She was far away from the rest of the group, feeling the need to be alone after hearing the earth-shattering news that her husband had lost his life in the fight with Majin Buu. She couldn't wrap her head around it; that attack Vegeta had unleashed against Buu was so powerful, and she just couldn't understand how that stupid wad of pink bubblegum was able to survive. She knew she wasn't the only one that had lost someone today; Chi-Chi was so distraught over the death of her eldest son that she had fainted on the spot, and Videl was visibly heartbroken that the boy she had fallen in love with was now gone. But Bulma felt that no one understood the pain that was chipping away at her heart, so she just wanted to be alone and away from everyone for a while.

She knew the majority of her friends didn't have the warmest of feelings towards Vegeta; she and Goku were the only ones who had ever truly made an effort to get to know him. Yes, Vegeta had done some questionable things in the past, but there was so much more to him than that. He had so many hidden layers to him, and she was privileged enough to uncover them herself. She felt another droplet of water slide down her cheek as she thought of how much he had changed over the last few years, and how far they had come in their relationship. He seemed to have finally accepted the fact that he had settled down on Earth and didn't seem perturbed by it. The future had looked so bright for them, but unfortunately, fate wasn't always so kind.

"Today wasn't supposed to be like this," she murmured out loud, burying her face into her hands as her eyes once again stung with tears. She felt faint just thinking about the chain of events that had led up to his death. This was supposed to be a happy occasion: Goku was able to come back to Earth for a whole day, and a good majority of the group was participating in the World Tournament. Things were going great earlier; it was the first time they had all gotten together in seven years, and it was exactly like old times. And she was especially ecstatic that Trunks was the Junior Division champion. Her little boy was so unbelievably strong for his age, and her heart swelled with pride at his victory; she knew Vegeta must have been pleased too.

Shortly after Trunks' win things began to take a drastic turn when those two brutes ran off after draining Gohan's energy, and Vegeta along with the other Z fighters had gone to follow them. She honestly hadn't thought much of it, and figured they wouldn't be gone too long, knowing how badly Vegeta wanted to fight Goku in their scheduled match. When Vegeta returned at the tournament with that marking on his forehead she had been completely baffled, especially by the blood-thirsty grin on his face. She had no clue what was going on with him. Then, she had felt her heart sink all the way down to the pit of her stomach as he had so carelessly, and proudly it seemed like, killed all those innocent people (not to mention she wasn't too far away from where he had aimed at). She hadn't seen him do something that repulsive since he had first arrived on Earth all those many years ago, and it had caused her to pass out, unable to process what was happening. She just couldn't fathom why he was seemingly returning to his old malicious ways. She thought that he had put all of that behind him, but something had obviously happened to make him act that way.

At first, she had been furious with him. How could he throw everything away that they had built together in favor of reverting back to the evil in his heart that used to consume him? She remembered wanting to slap the shit out of him and decided to chew him out whenever she saw him again. If she even wanted to see him that is. Just as she was ready to write him off, that had been when that feeling began to gnaw at her heart and left her immobilized. She knew it was about Vegeta and that something was very wrong. In that moment she put all her anger aside and began to experience a fear that she had never known before as her heart alerted her that something truly awful had happened to Vegeta.

And her inkling was unfortunately right. Vegeta, the only man that she had ever truly loved, was now gone for good. When she first heard the news of his death, everything else around her had faded away into nothingness, her heart fragmenting into a million pieces that could never be replaced. She lost all self-control as her mind slowly processed the fact that he was dead. DEAD. It made her nauseous to even think of that dreadful word; it was like she was being stabbed with a knife in the gut repeatedly. She didn't give a damn that she had unabashedly displayed her pain in front of the others as she was unable to suppress her explosion of tears. She couldn't recall another time in her life when she had felt so distraught. Her friends had been killed before, and she had mourned when they died, but this. . .this hurt was unlike anything else she had ever experienced. She knew she had to be strong for Trunks; she was the only parent he had left. But she didn't feel like being strong and putting on a facade that everything was alright. NOTHING was alright, and she didn't know if it ever would be again. This pain she was feeling was ripping her apart, and she didn't know how to cope with it.

"I love you, you damn bastard. I need you. I fucking _need_ you!"

She shook her head as her vision became completely clouded with tears, her legs trembling so bad that she had to sit down on the ground. Her head was throbbing as she began to sob uncontrollably once more, feeling completely helpless. She just didn't know how she could go on without him; it didn't seem possible. He was the love of her life, her reason for existing.

Why the fuck did this have to happen?

Things were going so well, better than she had ever prayed for. All she could do was think back to the last night of passion they had shared, how in that moment she had finally felt that everything had fallen into place. . .

*flashback to one week prior*

_"Am I the only one that knows how to fucking clean up after myself?! Apparently I am, ugh!" Bulma screeched as she flipped on the kitchen light to see mountains of dirty plates piled up on the table. All she had wanted was a midnight snack, but her appetite was now gone thanks to the disgusting sight before her. She knew of only two people who were capable of causing such destruction. She had barely even seen her son or husband over the past week since they had been training for the World Tournament nonstop. Of course, she wanted both of them to get enough training in so that they could win and bring that champion belt home, but damn, they were taking it to a whole other level. And eating all the food in the house and leaving their mess behind only irritated her further. _

_She cussed violently as she walked over to the table and began collecting the hoard of dishes in her hands. Those two had no respect for her at all sometimes; they expected her to do everything, and she would hardly get a thank you from them. She adored the way that Trunks idolized his father, but she didn't like how he had picked up Vegeta's bad manners and habits._

_"Hey, Mom! Whatcha doin'?"_

_Speak of the devil. _

_Bulma turned around to see her son smiling up at her, clutching a juice box in his hand. His lavender hair was disheveled and damp from sweat, and she squirmed as she noticed a few nasty bruises and cuts on his arms and legs. Vegeta sure had been working him hard in the Gravity Room, maybe a little too hard. Trunks was obviously strong for his age, but he was still just a little boy. Vegeta sometimes seemed to forget that Trunks was only 8-years-old and not a grown man like he was. _

_"You want to know what I'm doing?!" she yelled down at him, and she could see the way his smile began to disappear completely off of his face. "I'll tell you what I'm doing! I'm having to waste my precious time picking up after you and your father because apparently neither of you can do so yourselves! If you two have all this time to dedicate to training then you sure as hell can spend a few minutes picking up your mess!"_

_Trunks' azure eyes were wide as he looked up at her, nervously slurping the last few drops of his apple juice. His father could be really scary when he got mad, but nothing could compare to the terror his mother unleashed when she was pissed off. He didn't even know it was possible for people's voices to reach the octaves his mother could when she was angry. "Uhhhh. . ." he stammered as her eyes began to burn a hole into him. ". . .I'm sorry!" He flashed her a toothy smile as he hugged her leg, hoping it would make things better._

_It didn't. _

_Bulma sighed as she jerked her leg out of his grasp and strolled over to the dishwasher to put away the plates she had in her hand. She glanced back over at the kitchen table and saw there were about thirty plates remaining. Dammit. _

_When Trunks saw the exasperated look on her face he immediately dashed over to the table and began gathering the remaining dishes into his hands. It was a task he didn't wish to do, but he didn't want his mom to get even angrier. Besides, with his super speed he could get it done faster than her anyway. _

_Bulma was taken aback at Trunks' actions and watched him quickly dump all of the dishes into the dishwasher in the blink of an eye. He saw the look of gratitude his mom was giving him and shrugged. "I'm sorry I made you mad. I'll try to pick up after myself more." _

_Maybe..._

_...probably not..._

_She bent down and squeezed him tightly, a wide smile on her smile. "Oh, Trunks, that's all I ask of you is to help me out every once and a while. I guess you aren't as inconsiderate as I thought."_

_"Uh, Mom, I can't breathe," Trunks wheezed, struggling to get out of his mother's embrace. _

_She kissed the top of his head, which he scoffed at, and let go of him. "So where exactly is your father?" Bulma asked, scanning the room for any possible sightings of him. _

_Trunks sighed as he combed a hand through his messy hairy. "He's still training in the Gravity Room, but he said he wouldn't be much longer. He's really determined to beat the crap out of Goten's dead dad."_

_Some things never change. _

_"Well, it's way past your bedtime, young man. You need to get some rest after all that training you just did," Bulma advised after glancing at the wall clock that indicated that it was almost 11:30 PM. _

_Trunks let out a loud yawn and nodded his head as he walked past her. "Night, Mom."_

_"Make sure you brush your teeth after eating all of that junk food!" she called after him, knowing that he had a bad habit of neglecting his dental hygiene. It was a miracle that his teeth hadn't rotted from all the sweets he ate on a daily basis._

_"Yeah, yeah," his voice floated from up the stairs. _

_Bulma shook her head and let out a deep breath. She wondered how much longer Vegeta would be because she wanted to give him a good talking to for the mess he made and for how ridiculously long he had been training. Training had always been Vegeta's number one priority, and she had come to accept that. But this week he was taking it to the extreme and keeping Trunks up too long as well. She knew he was craving a rematch with Goku at the tournament and that he wanted to be prepared, but still. She didn't know how he was able to have that much energy to devote almost a whole 24 hours to one thing. He should use that energy towards. . .something else. Bulma felt herself become flushed as a few perverted thoughts ran through her head. Their sex life had always been active, but because of his stupid training the last few days they hadn't been able to get any time in for that. Sex was a form of training, right? She could give him just as great of a workout as the Gravity Room could._

_She made her way up the stairs and walked into the bedroom she shared with Vegeta, closing the door behind her with a soft click. She walked over to her vanity and grabbed her brush, running it hastily through her short hair. Vegeta needed to hurry up and come to bed already. She was both irritated and horny, which was an interesting combination. On one hand she wanted to break his bones, but on the other she wanted to jump them. Damn him. _

_The sound of footsteps coming down the hall snapped her out of her thoughts, and Vegeta entered the room a few seconds later, his eternal scowl planted on his face. Her eyes widened in open appreciation at the way beads of perspiration adorned his bare, lean chest, and the ripples of his six-pack began to mesmerize her. Why did he always have to look so sexy? It made it hard to keep her focus. All she wanted to do in that moment was lick every drop of sweat off of his body; her mouth was watering just thinking about it. _

_Dammit, I'm supposed to be mad at him!_

_She tore her eyes away from him, hoping that he hadn't caught a glimpse of her drooling over his body, though the arrogant smirk on his face proved that he had. Not to mention he could easily smell her arousal lingering in the air. She took a minute to gather her thoughts, and then crossed her arms over her chest, her sapphire eyes narrowing slightly. _

_"I'm surprised to see you coming to bed early, well early in your case anyway."_

_Vegeta shrugged. "Sleep is essential for a Saiyan, even though I won't be needing too much of it before I start training again."_

_Bulma couldn't help but glare at him. "Train, train, train. That's all you do anymore. And you're keeping Trunks up way too late with it, too. He's still just a kid and can't exert himself the way you can."_

_"I have to train as much as possible. Kakarot is only coming back to Earth for one day so I need to make sure I have the upper hand against that clown. Plus, Trunks needs an exceptional amount of training daily in order for him to remain a step ahead of Kakarot's annoying brat," Vegeta answered as he mirrored her stance of crossed arms._

_"Well, you might want to train a LITTLE bit less so that you have time to pick up your shit you leave for me on the kitchen table. I'm not your maid you know!"_

_Vegeta couldn't help but smirk. He enjoyed nothing more than having a good verbal spar with her, almost as much as he enjoyed __**another**__ activity with her. And usually their arguments would lead to sex so it was a win/win for him. He didn't mind rattling her chain a bit to get what he wanted._

_"I'm only doing that for your benefit. After all, cleaning up after other people's shit is your job, and I wouldn't want you getting rusty."_

_Bulma felt steam practically come out of her ears, growling low in her throat at the smug smirk he was displaying. She knew he was baiting her; he took immense pleasure in pushing her buttons. But that was alright, because she loved provoking him just as much. "That's funny coming from a guy who's getting rusty in some areas himself," she sneered. _

_Vegeta cocked an eyebrow in curiosity. "And what exactly are you referring to, woman?"_

_She approached him leisurely, swaying her hips with every step she took. When she stood inches apart from him she smiled impishly and traced the sculpted muscles of his chest with her index finger. "Oh, I don't know," she shrugged innocently, trying not to laugh at the confused look on his face. "It's nothing that great anyway, I can do without it."_

_Vegeta looked down at her with a combination of agitation and amusement. She had nerve to say that to him, especially since she gave in so easily to him every time he initiated sex. "Woman, if you're trying to irk me you'll have to do better than that. That's the biggest lie I've ever heard; you wanted to fuck me the second I walked in this room. You have no self-control, and you know it."_

_"And YOU do?!"_

_"Precisely."_

_"Well," she hummed with a grin, "we'll see if you do." _

_{**LEMON HAS BEEN REMOVED. PLEASE READ THE UNCENSORED VERSION ON AO3**}_

_Bulma made a grumbling sound as Vegeta pulled out of her and then gathered her up into her arms, the gesture surprising her. He ignored the stare she was giving him and deposited her down on her side of the bed before crawling over to his side, jerking the tangled up covers over them. She stared at him as he lay on his back, his eyes closing as sleepiness began to drag at his eyelids. She couldn't blame him; he had been up for almost a full twenty-four hours. While she herself was exhausted, she just couldn't help but admire the man beside her. __**Her**__ man. There was no one else in existence that could make her feel a vast array of emotions all at once like he could. No one else could get her blood boiling and her infuriate her to no end like he could. But at the same time no one else could ever make her feel as at ease and comfortable in her skin like he could. Only he could make her feel so safe, so protected. She didn't ever want to be with anybody else; there was no other living being in existence that could duplicate the way he made her feel. Vegeta was truly her one and only, and that would never change._

_She snuggled into his chest and beamed when she felt his arm curl around her waist in response. Life with him was unpredictable and exciting, and she wouldn't have it any other way. It was simply perfect._

*end of flashback*

As the memory came to an end, Bulma clutched at her heart, which felt as though it had an icy sword pierced through it. It killed her to think that memory was the last time she would ever be intimate with him. She would never get to make love to him again, let alone hold or touch him. She would give anything to go back in time and stay in that moment forever, to stay in his arms for all eternity. She always knew she loved Vegeta, but his death had really made her see just how deep her feelings for him ran. He was her husband, lover, and best friend. He was the first person on her mind when she woke up every morning, and the last person she thought of before she went to sleep. He was her _everything_.

And now, he was gone.

* * *

A/N: I will try to update again very soon, seeing as how I have only two weeks remaining of this semester. Let me know your thoughts on this chapter, I love feedback ^_^


	3. Trust

Chapter Three: Trust

A/N: Ah, once again I thank everyone for the reviews and support you guys have shown this story! Not just on here, but on Ao3 and Tumblr as well :D I think this is my favorite story I've ever written, and I think I'm really starting to improve on my writing skills and characterizations :)) well, here is chapter three, I hope you guys enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own DBZ or any of its characters. Blah blah blah.

* * *

Vegeta pulled himself out of the piles of rubble on top of him, not even daring to look over at his now-living rival beside him. He had thought that being granted his body back to help in the fight with Buu would be a thrilling challenge, but seeing Kakarot _**alive**_ and begging for help had ruined everything. He was made aware during his time in the afterlife of how Kakarot had the ability to go Super Saiyan 3 and had hid it from him during their previous fight. He was incredibly repulsed by how his fellow full-blooded Saiyan duped him like that, giving him false hope that he could have beaten him. He had obviously never been too fond of the fool in the first place, but now his grudge he harbored towards him was much deeper than before. Kakarot had been blabbering constantly since he had first arrived about fusing with some stupid earrings, but Vegeta refused to do such a thing, especially with _**him. **_This new Super Buu was even stronger than the last time he had fought him, but he refused to team up with Kakarot. And nothing would change his mind. _**Nothing. **_

"Look, if we don't do something soon we'll be history along with this whole planet," Goku stated, breaking Vegeta out of his thoughts.

"Why do I care?!" Vegeta barked.

"Wake up! Majin Buu's eaten everyone we care about! Everyone is gone. . . even _**Bulma**_!"

Vegeta felt as though he was being stabbed a thousand times over as he processed Kakarot's words. He already knew that his sacrifice against Buu wasn't enough to stop that fucking monster, but he was hoping that she had still been kept safe since his death. And now, he had to find out that the woman. . ._**his **_woman had been killed by Buu. He couldn't even bare to make eye contact with Kakarot as he lowered his head and clenched his fist so tightly that he nearly drew blood. He was so enraged that he began to shake, barely able to suppress his yearning to rip Buu limb from limb. How _**dare **_that pink piece of shit kill his mate like that! Vegeta had long ago accepted his dark, miserable fate in the afterlife, but he just could not stomach the fact that Bulma was now dead. It made him physically ill to even imagine it. He didn't care if he stayed dead for all eternity, but he wanted nothing more than for Bulma to live a full, long life; she didn't do anything to deserve the fate she had suffered at the hands of Buu. She was a vulgar, coarse woman, but compared to him she was a saint.

Kakarot was going on with a speech of sorts, but Vegeta tuned him out as all he could do was think of Bulma, the only person that had ever been brave enough to get to know him. And he hadn't made it easy on her by any means, but she never gave up on him. She saw something in him that no one else bothered to see, and no matter how many times he treated her like shit, she stayed with him. He used to think she was so stupid to do such a thing, that she was just wasting her time. But she was just as stubborn as he was, and she never stopped her quest to be the one that got through to him, to make him see life with a new outlook. And she had succeeded; his sacrifice had been proof of that. A human woman, with no physical strength of any kind, had been the one to change him. His mind then wandered back to the first time he realized she was changing him, a few years back.

*flashback to three years prior*

"_Vegeta, darling! It's so nice to see your handsome face!"_

_Vegeta barely resisted the urge to roll his eyes as he entered the kitchen and was greeted by Mrs. Briefs, that same oblivious look plastered on her face like always. God, she was the most irritating being that he had ever come in contact with. He felt as though he was losing brain cells just standing near her. He had spent the whole day training in the GR, and all he wanted to do was eat; he wasn't in the mood to listen to that high-pitched voice of hers._

"_There better be food ready," he growled in a low voice as he grabbed a bottle of water out of the fridge._

_As usual, Mrs. Briefs brushed off the harsh tone of his voice and smiled as she pointed to the kitchen table across the room. "Of course there is, sweetie! I have it all ready for you! Trunks and his precious little friend are eating now, too!"_

'_Precious little friend'? Oh, for fuck's sake that meant THAT brat was here._

_Vegeta walked over to the table, where he was greeted by his son with a smile, and beside Trunks was Goten, who was practically sucking on a steak bone. Vegeta felt like gagging just staring at the child. He was the spitting image of Kakarot, and equally as annoying to boot. He wasn't too thrilled about his son being close with the boy, but the woman insisted upon it, since the two half-Saiyans were only a year apart in age. Goten noticed Vegeta's glare and merely smiled at him, not seeming to understand how deep the older Saiyan's disdain for him ran. Vegeta rolled his eyes and sat down across from the boys and began to eat his food, attempting to block out the gibberish Goten and Trunks were speaking as they rambled on about Pokémon._

_Vegeta then looked around and noticed one person missing from the table. "Boy, where is your mother?"_

_Trunks took a large sip of his root beer before answering. "She took her dinner to her lab. She's working on something important apparently."_

_Vegeta shook his head. That blasted woman; she was too much of a workaholic. And now he was left alone with these two brats. She better not be locked away in that lab of hers much longer because he was in no mood to deal with them._

"_HEY! No fair, Trunks, you ate my last piece of bread!" Goten squealed, shoving his best friend in the shoulder as the lavender-haired boy chomped down on the roll._

_Trunks laughed with his mouth full, spitting out chunks of food everywhere, much to Vegeta's revulsion. "It's not my fault you were too slow to catch me!"_

_Goten stared down dejectedly at his now-empty plate, his heart breaking in two at the lack of food. He then looked across the table at Vegeta, who was too absorbed with his eating to pay attention to anything else. An idea then came into Goten's mind and an impish grin appeared on his face as he began to stretch out of his hand._

_Trunks' azure eyes grew double in size as he realized what his friend was doing. "Goten, noooooooooo!"_

_Before he could stop him, Goten grabbed a piece of bread from Vegeta's plate and shoved it into his mouth. Trunks gasped in horror as his father halted his feeding frenzy and directed the evilest of glares at Goten. He knew that one thing you never, ever messed with was his father's food; that was suicide. "It was nice knowing you, Goten," Trunks whispered to his friend, placing a hand on his shoulder._

_Goten slowly glanced up at Vegeta, who looked 100 times angrier than usual. He was only four-years-old; surely Vegeta wouldn't be that mad, right?_

"_YOU BRAT!"_

_Goten could only release a shriek of terror as he buried his face into his palms._

"_You have some nerve to come into MY house and take food off of my plate! I swear you are just as heedless as that idiot father of yours was! And-"_

"_VEGETA!"_

_Everyone turned around to see Bulma enter the room, her hands placed on her hips as she glowered at Vegeta. "Vegeta, you need to chill out! Are you really going to yell at a little kid like that all because he ate one piece of your food?! You need to get over yourself; you have plenty left on your plate."_

_Vegeta scowled at the turquoise-haired woman. "He's a disrespectful little sh-"_

"_Goten," Bulma cut Vegeta off before he could say THAT word in front of the kids. Heaven knew Trunks didn't need to learn yet another cuss word from his father. "You are sorry for what you did, right?"_

_Goten nodded his head rapidly, tears welling up in his eyes._

"_See, Vegeta, he's sorry. Now everything's resolved!" _

"_Resolved? You-"_

"_You'll have to excuse Vegeta's outburst," Bulma said to Goten, once again cutting Vegeta off, which was beginning to make him even angrier, "he's just a grumpy little man."_

_Bulma held in a snicker as Vegeta looked as though he was about to flip the table over in anger. Nothing brought her more satisfaction than irritating the shit out of him. He was just too easy to mess with; he took everything way too seriously. _

"_I am sorry, Mr. Vegeta. I'll NEVER do it again!" Goten apologized, bowing his head with his tiny hands clasped together._

_Vegeta simply tossed him another glare and mumbled something under his breath as he went back to his last few bites of food. Bulma shook her head and turned to the two boys with a grin. "Come on, you two. I think it's time you guys get ready for bed."_

_The two boys nodded in response, and Goten couldn't help but toss a nervous glance over his shoulder at Vegeta before exiting the room. Bulma ushered them up the stairs and ignored the glare that Vegeta was giving her; she would deal with his prissy attitude later. First, she had to make sure the two boys brushed their teeth and that Goten had his sleeping bag set up. She knew that the two young half-Saiyans would more than likely stay up the whole night, just like they always did, but hopefully they wouldn't cause TOO much trouble. Or maybe that was just wishful thinking on her part. Especially since the last time Goten had stayed the night the two of them ended up shattering Trunks' bedroom window while sparring at 1 AM. _

_Vegeta waited until the three of them disappeared from the top of the stairs and then slammed his fork down next to his plate as he took the last bite of his food. He really couldn't stand that damn insolent little brat, and the way that the woman had taken up for him like that made him sick. She was the reason Trunks was so spoiled because she never disciplined him or his little shit-head friend. She let them off the hook too easily every time they misbehaved. He couldn't stand Kakarot's harpy, but at least she put her half-breed sons in their place and would even do the same to Trunks if he was visiting them. Bulma was just too lenient, so if Trunks was ever disrespectful or misbehaved he would have to be the one to discipline their son and give him a good ass beating if needed._

_Vegeta pushed himself up from the table and made his way up to the bedroom that he now shared with Bulma. This sleeping arrangement had only been going on for the last few months, and Bulma had practically harassed him to do so. He didn't know exactly how to describe their relationship, though he did admit that they were a couple now. It was, however, much more serious for her than it was for him. He had grown more tolerable of her since he had first come to live with her and didn't find her presence AS annoying as he used to. Still, he wasn't a sap like Kakarot and refused to fall into the trap of developing feelings and attachments. Bulma seemed to understand that, too, so she didn't put pressure on him to be something he wasn't, which he was grateful for. She was an independent woman who didn't cling to him at all times, so being with her wasn't completely awful, and sharing a bedroom with her did make certain activities a lot easier to partake in._

_He opened the door to the room, shaking his head at the piles of clothes on the floor, all of which belonged to the woman. She couldn't ever make her mind up about what garment of clothing she was going to wear any given day, and instead of putting things back where they belonged she would just toss them on the floor. He couldn't stand what a total slob she was. He kicked a pair of her shorts out of the way as he walked over to his side of the bed, stripping down to his boxers before lying down. The plushness of the mattress alleviated his sore muscles; the strain of working out in 500 times gravity for ten straight hours had really exhausted him. But he didn't care; he would continue to push himself. The rest of Kakarot's gang of fools were all getting too relaxed in this time of peace, but he knew better. While there was no present danger, and may not even be one for a few years, it was better to be prepared just in case. He would just have to be the victor next time an enemy appeared, seeing as how the others would get their lazy asses handed to them. He couldn't help but smirk at such a thought._

"_There you are, mister!"_

_Vegeta lifted his head slightly to see Bulma enter the room, an agitated look on her face. "What is it that you want, woman?" he asked as he rested his head back down on his pillow, closing his eyes momentarily as he braced for the argument that was sure to rear its head shortly judging by her heated expression._

"_What the hell was your problem earlier?! Goten is only four-years-old; he doesn't know any better!"_

"_That's the problem: he SHOULD know better. He's just like his idiot dolt of a father in every way. And then you have the audacity to let the little brat get away with it so easily."_

"_Goddammit, Vegeta why do you have to be so uptight about every single thing?!" she snarled, walking over to his side of the bed and hovering over him. "It wasn't that major; he took one fucking piece of food off of your plate. I don't see the need to punish a kid that's not even mine for something that minor."_

"_It would do that brat and Trunks some good if they were disciplined every once in a while. You're letting Trunks think that he can behave however he wants to because of the way you act so nonchalant about things," Vegeta glared as he peered up at her, crossing his arms over his bare chest._

_Bulma snorted and tossed her medium-length hair over her shoulder. "I don't think I'm that 'nonchalant' of a person, and you should especially know that. If Trunks does something truly bad, then you bet your ass I'm going to give him a good talking to. But having his friend that's only a year younger than him steal food off of a grown-ass man's plate hardly qualifies as bad behavior. You are right about Goten and Goku being alike; they are both naive and completely oblivious to their surroundings. I guarantee you that Goten had no idea that what he was doing was that big of a deal so just drop it. You're acting like a big baby."_

_-BOOM-BOOM-BOOM-_

"_TRUNKS!" Bulma screeched loud enough for everyone in the entire house to hear. She knew that her son had to be the culprit behind whatever that deafening noise was._

_A knock was then heard at the bedroom door and Bulma went to open it, finding Goten and Trunks staring up at her with guilty faces. "Heyyyyy, Mom," Trunks forced a grin, a hand placed behind his head._

"_What the heck was all that racket?!" she quizzed, her eyes narrowing threateningly at the two boys._

_Goten and Trunks exchanged fretful glances momentarily and then gawked back up at Bulma with sweat dripping down their foreheads. "Uh, you see it's kind of funny," Trunks began with a nervous laugh, "Goten and I were trying to watch a movie in my room, and well, my TV stopped working suddenly. . .and. . ."_

"_Trunks got really mad and blew it up," Goten blurted out, earning a hard nudge in the rib from his best friend. _

_Such a Vegeta thing to do, Bulma mused to herself. Trunks was starting to pick up on Vegeta's bad temper habits. And Vegeta was making her out to be the bad parent?! "Trunks, it seems you're imitating bad behavior from somebodyyyyy," Bulma grumbled, glancing over her shoulder at the Saiyan Prince, who was sitting up in the bed, glaring at her all the while._

_Trunks glanced behind his mother at his father and gulped as he noticed the dirty look he was giving him. Of course he was picking up more and more everyday on his father's traits and characteristics, especially during their training sessions in the GR. Restraint and tranquility definitely were not his father's strong suits. But still, he wasn't going to throw him under the bus and get in even more trouble from him. He would probably make him do something absurd like 1 million pushups as punishment. "Uh, nah, Mom. I was just upset and wasn't thinking clearly. I'm sorry!"_

_Bulma shook her head, releasing a deep breath. "You can be so careless with your belongings sometimes! I give you the best of everything, and you destroy the majority of it! Most children would kill to have the latest technology at their fingertips like you do."_

_Goten nodded. "Yeah! I don't have a TV in my room, and when I am allowed to watch the one in the living room my mommy only lets me watch educational stuff. You're lucky, Trunks."_

"_That's right, Goten!" Bulma agreed with a small smile. "You don't even realize how good you have it, Trunks. And don't expect me to go out and buy you a new TV anytime soon; if you would've taken better care of the one you had you wouldn't be in this situation. Consider that your punishment."_

_Trunks lowered his head and grunted. "Dam- I mean. . .dang."_

_Bulma eyeballed him briefly, internally groaning at how her five-year-old son was fast becoming a mini Vegeta, complete with a bad temper and foul mouth. "You two get back to bed, and actually SLEEP this time. Understand?"_

"_Yes, ma'am!" they answered in unison._

"_I'll just ask my grandparents for a new TV. They never say no to me," Trunks whispered as they began walking down the hall._

"_TRUNKS!"_

"_Kidding, Mom, kidding!" Trunks grinned back at his mother, then shook his head at Goten as they reached his room._

_Bulma absently rubbed at her temple as she closed the door and turned back to Vegeta, who was still staring at her with a stoic expression. "See? I think I did a pretty damn good job of disciplining right now."_

_Vegeta tossed her a bored look and placed his hands behind his head. "You could have done better. And it's a shame to see he's developing that temper of yours," he taunted with a devilish smirk._

_Bulma let out a growl and pointed at herself. "ME?! I sure as hell don't blow things up when I get angry! That's your doing, buddy! But, you know. . .dammit, I can't believe I'm admitting this, but maybe you were sorta right. I do spoil Trunks a tad bit too much."_

"_I'm ALWAYS right, woman. Your life will be a lot easier when you finally realize that."_

"_Oh, hush," Bulma snapped. "This was just one of the few things you were right about. Trunks is my baby boy, and I guess I get carried away with giving him everything he wants. I just like to see him happy; I don't want to be ridiculously strict with him. Chi-Chi is my friend and all, but I think she's just way too harsh sometimes with her kids, though she's been more lenient with Goten than she was with Gohan when he was younger. I don't want to be breathing down my child's neck every second of the day and give him no space. My parents gave me a good amount of freedom when I was growing up, and I turned out just fine."_

_Vegeta could only give her a skeptical look at that last part._

"_I did!"_

_This time he just smirked._

"_Ugh, jerk," she huffed under her breath. "All I'm saying is that neither of us are perfect people, or perfect parents so we just need to try better in certain areas. I'll try to not to pamper Trunks as much, and you need to learn to chill the fuck out about things. Goten and Trunks can be a handful, but they're just kids. Don't you remember what it was like being a child and wanting to have fun?"_

_Vegeta's mouth flattened into a hard line, his eyes clouding with a swirl of emotions briefly before veiling it from her. He remained eerily quiet for a few moments before answering, as though he had just seen a ghost or something. "The last thing on my mind as a child was 'fun'."_

_Bulma paused, knowing that Vegeta didn't have the greatest of upbringings since he lived a good chunk of his life under Frieza's rule. She didn't know in detail what all the white lizard had put him through, but she could only imagine that it must have been truly awful for him. Even though she was a lot closer to Vegeta now he still remained mostly closed off; it was rare for him to give her any insight into that mind of his. _

_She exhaled and decided not to pry, knowing that it wasn't Vegeta's style to open up and go into an in-depth conversation. They had been making progress in their relationship, and she didn't want to undo it by bugging him with personal questions about his past that weren't any of her business. She began to slip out of her clothing and tossed them to the ground, much to Vegeta's immediate frustration since there was a clothes hamper two feet from where she was standing. His agitation was then quickly forgotten as she unhooked her bra and allowed her plump breasts to be free from its restraints, standing with her bare back to him as she began rummaging through her dresser drawer for a clean nightgown. He didn't want to admit it out loud, but her body was faultless. Her skin was so soft, so creamy, almost like satin beneath his fingertips. She had curves in all the right places, with full, luscious breasts, followed by her trim waist, and then her shapely behind that he was getting an eyeful of at the moment as she was clad in nothing more than a black frilly thong. Her body had been the only thing that had even first attracted him to her; her personality was a whole other story. But she had slowly, very slowly grown on him, and he acknowledged that he admired her spunk and fierce determination. She had no physical strength to speak of, but mentally she was a force to be reckoned with._

_Bulma felt Vegeta's eyes glued on her, causing her to spin around and face him. She smiled wide as she slipped her lavender nightgown over her head. "Aw, Vegeta were you staring at me? Am I turning you on?" she winked shamelessly, biting down on her index finger._

_Vegeta quickly adverted his eyes and turned on his side so that he could no longer see her laughing face. "Vulgar woman," he muttered under his breath._

_He could hear her giggle as she slid into bed next to him, turning the lamp off on her nightstand before lying down on her back. Vegeta stared into the darkness engulfing the room for a few moments before closing his eyes, acknowledging that he was more tired than he realized. He was half-way asleep when he felt her tiny hand on his shoulder. Dammit. "Woman, what the hell do you want now?"_

_He could feel her shift around in the bed so that she was now laying on her side with her face pressed into his muscular back. "You know. . .if you ever want to talk about anything. . .like your past, I'll listen. And I won't judge you, I promise."_

_She didn't even know what had provoked her to reach out to him like that, especially since she had decided a few minutes earlier that it wasn't her place to ask him about any of that. Vegeta was the most private person she had ever come across and even though they were in a relationship now that didn't mean he felt the need to confide in her. He was still the same old Vegeta, who remained locked away in his own head and preferred to be alone. Granted, he wasn't as much of a prick as he was when he had first arrived on Earth, but he was still set in his ways. She sighed in defeat when he remained completely silent and moved away from him, returning to her original position of lying on her back. Well, at least she tried._

"_You wouldn't understand," he finally answered a few moments later._

"_Huh?" _

_Vegeta rolled over so that he was now facing her, the handsome features of his face illuminated by the moonlight coming in through the window. "Woman. . .you could never understand me or my past."_

"_I could if you'd let me try," she breathed quietly, turning her head to meet his gaze._

"_No. . .it's far too complicated for your human mind to even comprehend. You've never been through anything as ghastly as I have. You've lived an overindulged life where you were always free to do as you pleased. You spent your spare time probably taking those silly bubble baths of yours or staring at yourself for hours in the mirror because you're that vain. Someone like you that has lived such a shallow existence just wouldn't get it and-"_

"_Goddammit, Vegeta. I get the point; I'm sorry I ever said anything. I don't want to hear one of your lengthy speeches about what a horrid person I am."_

_When he didn't speak she took that as him ending the conversation so she forcefully shut her eyes. She wasn't exactly angry, but she was hurt that he didn't even give her a chance to listen to him and had to insult her like that. He was right: she did have a very privileged upbringing and was also prone to being self-absorbed at times. She was a strong enough woman to admit her flaws and was more self-aware than he gave her credit for. Still, that didn't mean that she lacked empathy towards others or was a bad person. He was shutting her out without even giving her an opportunity to get to know him better._

"_Why would you care about me, about my past?"_

_She cracked one eye opened and looked back at him. He seemed genuinely confused as he gazed at her, his dark orbs searching her face for some kind of hidden answer. "That's the thing, Vegeta," she answered gently, rolling over onto her side so that their faces were now only inches apart. "I __**do**__ care about __you. Sometimes I don't even know why I do; you aren't exactly the warmest or friendliest person out there. But for some reason I really do like you, and I know you probably haven't had many people in your life that you can trust, so I want you to know that you can trust me, with your thoughts or your past or whatever else is on your mind."_

_Vegeta simply stared unblinkingly at her at first, hesitant to speak. He honestly thought it was a bit imprudent of her to want to get even closer to him than she already had. He was a former mass murderer that had unapologetically spilled the blood of countless lifeforms throughout the universe; his life before he came to inhabit on Earth was not pristine in any way. How could she want to hear about any of it? What was it that she was constantly seeing in him that made her want to know more about him? He just couldn't figure her out, and he probably never would. _

"_The reason I hate to sleep and get so little of it is because I have dreams about my past, about things I wish I could forget," he spoke in a rough whisper. He didn't even know what was provoking him to expose that to her; he had never told another living soul that before. _

_Bulma's eyes widened in response, watching as a fleeting flash of grief passed through his black orbs. She didn't say anything but gave him an encouraging look to continue on._

_He ran a hand through his thick hair before speaking again. "You don't know how fortunate you are to have grown up in the environment that you did. You didn't have to live under the constant dread of some sick bastard lurking over your shoulder every hour of the day. Frieza killed my father and blew up my home planet, yet I had to do everything he requested of me, even though all I wanted to do was fucking rip him apart limb from limb."_

_She reached out as he took a pause, placing her hand on one of his muscular arms in a gesture of comfort, though she was bracing herself for him to slap it away. He didn't. _

"_Frieza was the most heinous, evil creature I've ever come into contact with, and he made my life an absolute living hell. I still to this day hate him with every fiber of my being. If I didn't do what he said I knew he would have killed me, so I begrudgingly did whatever he asked of me, even if I had no desire to do it. He was the reason I began slaughtering innocents in the first place, because I was the one who had to do his dirty work and extinguish planets that he didn't deem worthy. I admit that at first I was hesitant to do all of that, but over time I began to lack remorse for any of the senseless killings I participated in. I even grew to take delight in it; it gave me satisfaction to take the lives of so many helpless victims._

"_By the time I was a teenager I had already killed thousands across the universe. I was proud of it, too; killing was my favorite hobby. If I never would have been enslaved by Frieza maybe I wouldn't have been as cruel and heartless as I was, but he never gave me a chance to be anything other than a cold-blooded killer. I'm not pleased with the fact that I wasn't the one to rid the universe of that bastard, but I'm glad he's rotting away in hell where he belongs. I still have nightmares about all the ways he would humiliate and torture me throughout the years I served under him. These are things that will probably always haunt me, even all these years later."_

_Bulma's eyes welled with tears, feeling his pain with every word he spoke. Vegeta had a much harder life than she had originally assumed. Frieza was the reason why Vegeta was so closed off and distant from others; she despised the evil tyrant for making Vegeta that way. She now understood the reason as to why Vegeta lived his life the way he did before __coming to Earth; he didn't really have much of a choice because of Frieza. She hugged him the best she could lying down, his heart beating against her ear. "Vegeta. . .I'm so sorry you had to go through all that," she murmured, kissing his chest up and down._

_Vegeta flinched slightly beneath her lips and shook his head. "Woman, I don't want your damn pity."_

"_I'm not pitying you," she replied softly. "But it's awful you had to live that way. I know you'll probably never forget all the things that happened to you, and I can't blame you for that, but you don't have to live with all that pain bottled up inside of you anymore. Things are a lot better for you now, right?"_

_He knew what she was wanting him to say, that his life had improved while living on Earth. It was true that his life wasn't as insufferable as it had been all those years ago, but he remained a warrior at heart, and it was still taking him some time to get completely adjusted to the life he lived now. He never, ever saw himself with a family, and yet now he had one. It was still surreal to him. "I never saw myself living this kind of life, with a mate and child. I never gave two shits about relationships, or being a father. There are even times now where I feel like I'm incompetent when it comes to raising a child and that I'm not cut out to be a father. But. . .I do know that I want Trunks to never live in the kind of terror that I did. That's why I train him, so that he can be prepared for anything and able to stand up to anyone or anything that threatens him. I want my son to be strong, both mentally and physically."_

_Bulma smiled and reached up her hand to stroke his smooth cheek. "He is. And that shows that you care about him. See, you are a good parent; give yourself more credit."_

'_Hmph' was his only reply._

_She then slowly, very slowly pressed her lips to his in what was supposed to be a quick peck, but she was surprised to find his lips lingering over hers as she tried to pull away. He then wrapped his arms around her and kissed her deeply, leaving her breathless. She knew Vegeta used to be incredibly wicked and at one point wanted to annihilate Earth completely, but he had come a long way since then. He was learning to live life in way that was completely different from his past he had just told her about. She was delighted that he had really trusted her with all that information. Could it be that he was really starting to fall for her? She could only hope so._

"_I don't know why I told you all that," Vegeta muttered as he pulled back from her slightly._

_Bulma grinned. "Because you reallyyy like me."_

"_What?!"_

"_You know it's true!"_

_He rolled his eyes in response and turned to lay on his back. "Go to sleep, you silly woman."_

_Bulma smiled slyly, knowing that he knew she was right. As she was closing her eyes, her whole body ignited with heat as Vegeta placed a chaste kiss on top of her head. He had done it so gently too that she had barely felt it; she knew he must have felt awkward doing it because that was the first time he had ever made such a gesture. But she was beyond elated at his actions. Vegeta was not so good with expressing himself through words, so he used physical cues instead like he had just displayed. She knew that was his way of saying that he did indeed like her._

_Vegeta peeked down at her smiling face, surprised at his own actions. He had never trusted anyone before in his whole life, and yet he had opened up to her just like that. True, he had only scratched the surface of his dark past, but that was still more information than she probably needed to know. But, as she had promised, she had listened and didn't judge him for his past deeds as a universal murderer. At first, he hadn't even planned on saying much, but for some reason he felt so comfortable in her presence, and it made it easy for him to show a side of himself to her that he didn't dare let anyone else see. What was it about her that caused him to feel this way? He didn't feel like trying to figure it out and just accepted it. Maybe, just maybe, Earth wasn't too terrible of a place to live._

*end of flashback*

Vegeta lowered his head as the memory came to an end. Bulma had truly cared so deeply for him and had always stood by him, even when everyone else had told her how foolish she was to do such a thing. She had been incredibly supportive that night he opened up to her, so accepting, and she was the only person that he would ever share such information with. She was the only person that he could trust, that he could rely on. But he was ashamed that he hadn't been there for her when Buu took her life; he felt as though he had failed her. He knew she was in Heaven; she would not have to suffer the same fate as he did in the afterlife, but she _**deserved **_to be living at this very moment. And he swore to make Buu pay for what he did.

Even if that meant having to fuse with Kakarot. Such a thought made him want to hurl, but if this was truly the only way to save Earth then he would do it for Bulma without a second thought. He would do _**anything **_for her; she was worth it. He only wished that one day he was given the privilege of telling her that himself.

* * *

A/N: I know the other two chapters contained a lemon, but I felt the need to explore another side of their relationship. But don't worry there will be another lemon chapter in the future hehe. I will try to have the next chapter posted next week because I start my final class of my college career on May 26th so I'll try to update before I get bombarded with school work again. And omg learning of the news a couple of weeks ago about the new DBZ series had made me sooo happy. Hopefully it will give me inspiration for new BulmaxVegeta fics for when I'm done with this one :))) please let me know what you thought of this chapter I appreciate feedback and support!


	4. Love

Chapter Four: Love

A/N: Once again, thank you guys for the reviews and support! I love this story more and more with every chapter that I post ^_^ this chapter has especially been my favorite so far so I hope you guys like it!

Disclaimer: Yeah, we know I don't own DBZ.

* * *

That voice. . .that familiar, attractive voice that was like rough velvet, a series of enchanting sensations prickling her insides with every individual word he spoke.

It was HIS voice.

Hearing Vegeta speak again after all that had transpired the last couple of days prompted tears to fall from her cerulean eyes that were glistening from the immense sense of exhilaration she felt in that moment. Bulma had feared just mere hours ago that she would never again hear from him, but she was pleasantly surprised to find that Vegeta of all people was urging the citizens of Earth to partake in the fight with Buu by giving their energy to Goku for the Spirit Bomb. Vegeta, the man who had once longed to demolish Earth himself, was now doing everything he could to save it. Drops of moisture continued to escape her eyes as she smiled up at the clear azure sky. Whatever had happened earlier that led Vegeta into getting mixed up with Babidi now appeared to be nothing more than a fluke; he was back to the way he was before all that mess occurred. No, she conceded as her grin increased, he was even BETTER now. The way he was more than willing to help defend the Earth at that very moment proved that. She was so proud to be the wife of such an incredible man.

She was now living and breathing again, so she knew the same must be true for Vegeta. She wasn't sure where he and Goku were currently fighting Buu, but she knew that they could defeat him together. She couldn't help but chuckle at the thought of her husband and best friend working together. Hell had officially froze over. Regardless, she couldn't wait to see Vegeta again, to touch him and BE with him after what felt like a lifetime of separation. She would never, ever again take him for granted. If she was to take anything away from this ordeal it would be to treasure every single second she spent with Vegeta. God, she loved him so much that it made her heart swell.

Loving him had never been an easy task, but her feelings for him had always been so potent that she could never walk away from him, even at the worst of times. Now, that adoration she felt for him had only increased tenfold. She vowed to tell him as soon as they were reunited how deeply in love with him she was, even though she knew he more than likely wouldn't say it back. But he never had before, and she had never been terribly upset over it. He wasn't a mushy guy in any way, but she knew through his actions that he did care immensely for her.

Memory then consumed her as she recalled the first time she had freely confessed her true feelings to the stubborn Prince.

*flashback to one year prior*

"_FUCK!"_

_That was the fifth time Bulma had nearly ran off the road as a result from looking at herself in her rearview mirror. She couldn't help it. Her once-long, luscious hair she had spent the past few years growing out was now gone, and she wasn't sure how she felt about her new haircut. It was so short, the shortest it had been in ages. And it was all thanks to Goten and Trunks. She couldn't help but glare at the memory of earlier that day. She had been minding her own business, taking a quick nap on the living room couch, when she woke up to find some unidentifiable gunk in her hair that wouldn't come out. She had heard giggles coming from behind the couch, which belonged to her son and his fellow half-Saiyan partner in crime, and she had screamed at them until she was blue in the face. The boys were rightfully terrified by her anger and had apologized, but Bulma had been in no mood to hear it. She had tried everything to get the mess out of her hair, but nothing had worked. Hell, she had even used peanut butter like they say to use in instances of gum getting stuck in hair, but that didn't help, either. And so, she had no choice but to pay a trip to her hairstylist for an unwanted haircut. _

_She glanced at herself in the mirror one last time as she pulled into Capsule Corp., removing her sunglasses. "Maybe if I add a little bit more hairspray to it. . ." she mused, fluffing it up some. She still wasn't used to how cold and bare her neck felt without its former veil of turquoise locks that used to hang around it. But maybe it would eventually grow on her; she did love to switch up her look, and this was definitely a change. She exhaled as she parked her car and got out of it, walking restlessly towards the house, nervous as to what her family's opinion would be on her haircut. She entered the kitchen and tossed her designer purse down onto the counter, scouring inside of it for a pack of cigarettes, which she found buried at the bottom beneath a hoard of makeup and other feminine products. She had smoked occasionally from time to time in the past, but lately she had done it a lot more frequently. Her father had handed her over more responsibility of the company now that he was getting close to retirement, and her stress levels were through the roof. She was aware of what a nasty habit it was, but it was the only thing that calmed her nerves. Well, besides sex, but Vegeta was nowhere to be seen at the moment to help her release her tension._

"_Heyyyyy, Mom. . ."_

_Bulma turned around as she flicked a lighter and raised it to the tip of the cigarette that was hanging out of her mouth. "Well, do you like my hair? You know, since YOU'RE the reason I cut it?!" _

_Trunks cringed at the tart tone of voice she used, knowing that she would probably never forgive him for the stupid prank he pulled. He didn't know she was gonna have to cut her hair; he just wanted to freak her out a little. "I'm sorry, Mom. Goten and I just thought it would be funny, you know?'_

"_No, I DON'T know!"_

"_Anyway, I really do like it. You look like a cool, hip mom!"_

_Bulma ogled him as she exhaled a cloud of smoke, wondering if he was just being a smartass, which he was fast becoming thanks to Vegeta's influence. Speaking of which. . ._

"_Where is your father? He was supposed to be watching you and Goten while I got my hair done."_

_Trunks walked over to the refrigerator and pulled out a can of soda. "He said that babysitting is a woman's job, and instead he trained me and Goten in the GR until Chi-Chi came to pick him up."_

_She took a deep drag on her cigarette and shook her head. "I'm sure Chi-Chi was thrilled about that. Well, I hope you enjoyed your time with Goten today because you won't be seeing him for the next week. You're grounded, and I don't want to see you come out of your room unless it's to eat or go to school!"_

_Trunks snarled and crossed his arms in the same exact manner as Vegeta always did. Dammit, her husband had created a monster! "You're really going to punish me all because of hair!? It will grow back. Get over it, Mom!"_

_Bulma put out her cigarette in an ashtray at the end of the counter and then advanced towards her son, her hands placed firmly on her hips. "You do NOT tell me to get over it! You get up to your goddamn room RIGHT now or else I will increase your punishment. Do you understand me!?"_

_Trunks shrunk back as his mother towered over him, her eyes shooting icy daggers at him. He had never seen her look as pissed as she did just then. Was hair really that big of a deal? It must be a girl thing, he pondered to himself. He knew by his mother's chilling glare and thunderous voice that she wasn't messing around, and that he better do as she said. Maybe later on she would cool off and forget about punishing him for so long. "Alright, Mom, I'll go to my room."_

_He grinned puckishly as he walked towards his room. He figured she must have forgotten that he had just bought a brand new video game yesterday, so going to his room wasn't that big of a punishment._

"_If I catch you in there playing that new video game I will break it in two!" she screeched behind him._

"_Crap!"_

_Bulma heard his door slam brashly from up the stairs and rolled her eyes. She thought she was being easy on him after what he did. A haircut was the last thing she had planned on today, and Trunks would feel her wrath; she would make sure of it. Having to take time out of her day to go to the salon had put her hours behind schedule for the day, and she still had paperwork she had to fill out for her father. That was the reason she had taken a quick nap on the couch earlier in order to catch a breather, but obviously that had been a very poor decision on her part. She groaned as she ran a hand through her short-trimmed hair, still not used to how little of it there was._

_She walked towards her lab and entered with a scowl as her eyes caught sight of the pile of paperwork on her desk. It seemed like there was even more of it now than there originally was a few hours ago. "Dammit," she muttered as she pulled out her chair and sat down, grabbing a nearby pen that she began to bite down on. She quickly scanned over the first document and strained her eyes attempting to make out the fine print at the end of it. She then scribbled her signature down after deeming it a legitimate contract and set it over to the side, groaning as she looked back at the stack of papers, realizing she would have to do the same exact thing two-hundred times over. "Could this day get any worse!?"_

"_Woman!"_

_Shit!_

_She heard Vegeta's footsteps stop outside of her door. "What the hell do you want?" she asked in a brusque manner, beginning to look over the next document._

"_Your parents said they are going out for the evening so unfortunately for me that means you are in charge of preparing me a meal, which I want NOW!"_

"_Cool your jets! I don't have time right now, Vegeta. You can calm your ass down and wait for me to get done with all this shit I have to do," she rumbled as she signed the document, pressing the pen down so hard against the paper that the ink smeared._

_There was silence on the other end of the door, and she sighed in relief thinking that he had decided to leave her alone. Then the sudden sound of his fist pounding against the metal door startled her out of her thoughts and sent her leaping a foot into the air, clutching at her throbbing heart. "Woman, I'm not going to ask you again!"_

"_God, you're such a fucking prick, Vegeta!" she squawked. She realized that she was more irritable with him than usual; cooking for him was the last thing she wanted to do, especially when she had a truckload of work in front of her. All he ever did was insult the hell out of her cooking, anyway._

_She pushed herself up from her desk and marched over to the door, her eyes narrowed into two angry slits. She was so busy cursing to herself that she wasn't aware of the random supply of tools scattered on the floor, and before she knew it she was sent tumbling to the ground as she slipped on a wrench. "FUCK!" she yelped as she grabbed her ankle that was pulsating with pain._

"_Bulma?"_

_His voice lost a great deal of its severity as he heard her wince in pain, as well as feeling a flicker of disturbance in her ki. He smashed in the entry code to the lab and sped in, finding her across the room sprawled out on the floor. "Woman, what in the hell happened!?"_

"_What does it look like happened, Vegeta!? I fell and tripped!" she barked, attempting to stand up. She immediately sunk back down to the floor as tingles of pain shot throughout her body, her ankle continuing to ache._

"_Foolish woman, if you would actually pick up after yourself you wouldn't fall over things," he scoffed, advancing towards her._

"_I'm not in the mood for a lecture," she retorted, massaging her ankle. "I've had a horrible day."_

_As she looked down she could see Vegeta's feet get closer and closer to her, until he stopped right in front of her and squatted down beside her, his enticing natural scent mixed with perspiration from his training tickling her nostrils. She glanced over at him and was taken aback by the look he was directing her way. He almost looked concerned, an emotion that was quite unusual for him to openly display. He reached down, gently moving her hand from her ankle so that he could test the acuteness of her injury himself, his thumb kneading over the sore spot, doing his best to not pay too much attention to how her skirt was riding up her thighs. When she began to wince he pulled back and let out a puff of air. "It seems that you just sprained it," he answered informally._

_Bulma was relieved it wasn't broken, but still, a sprained ankle was the last thing she needed. As she scratched her head she noticed Vegeta's eyes fixated on her hair, but she couldn't read his expression. "Do you like it?" she asked quietly._

_Vegeta's dark eyes expanded at her question. He examined her silently for a few moments, his gaze on her as penetrating as physical contact. "It suits you," he responded in a gentler tone than she was used to hearing._

_Bulma felt her lips curl upwards at his words. He liked it! And that was a huge deal considering Vegeta rarely gave her compliments of any kind. "Aw, Vegeta! You think I look sexy?" she winked, trailing her index finger along one of his thighs._

_She couldn't suppress a laugh as a faint blush stained his cheeks. She loved how flustered he would get every time she flirted with him. "Woman. . ." he respired, adverting his eyes. She just smiled all the while, still thrilled from his approval of her new look; his opinion mattered more to her than anyone else's. Maybe this haircut wouldn't be that bad after all._

_Vegeta then slid his hand under her thighs, catching her completely off guard. He hauled her into his arms and began to walk out the door, leaving Bulma to stare up at him with iridescent blue eyes. "Where are you taking me?" she queried, wrapping her arms around his neck to position herself more comfortably. She couldn't believe how thoughtful he was being towards her, and being tucked away in Vegeta's muscular arms was a definite bonus as well._

"_To the bedroom. Though it's not for the reason I would like it to be," he responded with a teasing smirk._

_Her face reddened at his words. Dammit, why did he always have to make her so horny? "I can't go up there right now. I still have all that fucking paper work I need to finish looking over," she groused, looking behind his shoulder as her lab disappeared from view._

"_You need to rest, Bulma. Even though your injury isn't that grave, it would still do you some good to not be up and moving for a while."_

_She knew when he used her name he was being serious. But still, she was stubborn. "But, you know me. I CAN'T sit still."_

"_Oh, yes, I know," he responded wryly as he approached their bedroom, kicking the door open with his foot. He deposited her down on her side of the bed gingerly, making sure he didn't further agitate her ankle. _

"_Hey, could you be a sweet husband and pleeeease bring my work up here for me to finish? It's going to drive me crazy if I just leave it sitting there," Bulma pleaded, batting her eyelashes. _

"_Woman, I already told you that you need to rest."_

"_And I'm telling YOU I want to finish my fucking work! You don't tell me what to do, you thick-headed baboon!"_

_Vegeta couldn't help but smirk. She was as stubborn as a mule, but nothing could arouse him like that fiery spirit of hers. She was the only woman in the entire universe that could match his mental ferocity. He gave her a long look and then disappeared out of the room, which surprised her. Was he really going to do as she said? Nah, she thought to herself as she propped her pillow up behind her. He was probably just going back to training._

_The door then cracked opened, and she was expecting to see Vegeta, but she was staggered to find her son walk in with a glass of red wine in his hand. Holy shit._

"_TRUNKS?! What in the absolute hell are you doing with that?"_

"_Don't worry, Mom!" he smiled as he slowly paced towards her, careful to not spill any of it since he knew she would have a fit if it stained the carpet. "I didn't drink any of this; it smells like an old sock. I thought you would like some!"_

_Bulma took the glass from her son, noticing how he had filled it to the brim. Well, at least he did something right today. "The liquor cabinet is supposed to be locked at all times. How did you open it?"_

_He shrugged. "That lock was super easy to break open with my hands. Looks like you'll have to buy a new one."_

_Her eye began to twitch. Was there even a lock strong enough to withhold a Saiyan child? She didn't even want to think about the kind of trouble he would get into when he was a teenager. Hopefully he would take after his future counterpart and not be too rowdy. Hopefully being the key word._

_She took more of a copious sip than she intended to and smacked her lips. Damn she really needed that. "Well, Trunks, I appreciate your, uh, gesture, but this doesn't change your punishment at all, young man."_

"_Awww, Moooom. . ."_

"_Trunks, leave your mother alone," Vegeta bellowed as he came in with a stack of papers. He didn't understand why the woman was complaining so much about her workload; this pile was as light as a feather. He plopped it all down next to her on the bed and scrutinized the glass of wine she was clutching. "What are you doing with THAT?"_

"_I brought it to her," Trunks answered, flicking a strand of hair out of his eyes. "I know she usually drinks ten glasses when she's had a hard day so I thought she could use it."_

_Ten? She didn't drink ten glasses of wine when she was stressed; that was absurd! Of course, she never really did keep count when she was drinking. . ._

"_Don't bring her a refill," Vegeta said dryly, knowing that with Bulma it didn't take too much for her to get tipsy. _

"_Jeez! You two make me sound like an alcoholic or something!" she carped, sitting the now-half empty wine glass down on her night stand. "Don't you dare give me that look, Vegeta!" she added as the Saiyan Prince's dark eyes began to mock her._

_Vegeta shook his head, smirking at her, then looked down at his son. "Boy, I think you better get back to your room. You've caused your mother enough stress for one day."_

"_But I'm hungry!" the demi-Saiyan griped, rubbing at his growling stomach._

"_Oh, that's right. I'm supposed to cook for you guys," Bulma said, running her hand down her face._

_Vegeta let out a long, heavy breath. "Woman, you will do no such thing."_

"_But you told me earlier I HAD to and-"_

"_That was before your clumsy ways got the best of you. I guess you leave me no choice but to order takeout. It beats you burning everything to a crisp, any way," he smirked._

"_Yeah! No offense, Mom," Trunks glanced over at Bulma, grinning nervously._

"_Fine, whatever," Bulma answered with a shrug, turning her attention to her paperwork beside her._

"_I'll bring your meal up to you when it arrives," Vegeta informed his wife over his shoulder as he and Trunks began to walk out of the room._

_Bulma's eyes stopped scanning over the document in her hands and settled on Vegeta. "You what?"_

_Vegeta stopped in the doorway, rolling his eyes. "Woman, don't you listen? I said I would-"_

"_I heard you," she beamed, her eyes radiating. She couldn't believe that Vegeta had offered out of his own free will to do that for her. Vegeta had grown and evolved the last few years, and was much warmer towards her than he used to be, but he was still a jackass a good chunk of the time. So having him be so. . .sweet (which was a word she never before associated with the Saiyan Prince) really brought a smile to her face, one that she couldn't smother. "Thank you, Vegeta. You're the best."_

"_Ugh, mushy stuff," Trunks shuttered, fleeing the room and running down the hallway to his room._

_Vegeta's eyebrows elevated, wondering why in the hell Bulma was so happy about him bringing her food. Was it that big of a deal? It would be a cold day in hell before he would ever figure that woman out. He gave her one last look over and shook his head as he exited the room, closing the door behind him._

_Bulma was still smiling as she turned her attention back down to her work. She couldn't help but giggle at the bewildered look Vegeta had given her just then. Yes, him bringing food up to her wasn't to be rivaled with him lassoing the moon for her or something to that effect, but for someone as selfish as him, it was a real progression in his development as a husband. Plus, the way he had complimented her hair and shown alarm when she was hurt were also worthy of noting. Years ago he would have merely laughed in her face and walked off. Who would have ever thought he would change so much?_

_God, she loved him._

_Her pen nearly poked a hole through the paper from the pressure she applied on it. Love? She had known for a very long time that she had fallen incredibly hard for the prince, but she had always been hesitant about verbally informing him of just how MUCH she cared for him. Vegeta was not a sentimental guy by any means, so talking openly about feelings was not an activity they partook in. She knew his pride would never allow him to do such a thing, and that was something she came to terms with when she had first entered a relationship with him. But it was killing her to go all this time and never let him know that she did love him. She was aware that he wouldn't say it back to her, but dammit, she didn't want to let fear keep her from saying it to him. He was her husband for God's sake!_

_She chewed her bottom lip. Well, it couldn't hurt to try. . .right?_

_Hours later, Bulma was lying in bed, having just finished the last of her paperwork. It had taken her longer than she thought, mainly because her minded was sidetracked. Vegeta had brought up Chinese takeout to her like he said (though he had done it with his signature scowl), and she wanted to tell him right then, but she couldn't get a word out, which was puzzling to Vegeta since she ALWAYS had something to say. He had shrugged it off and went back to training, which she was currently waiting for him to finish up with. She rubbed lotion on her legs and sighed. Her ankle wasn't as swollen as before, but it was still difficult for her to walk on it. She was hoping to be better by tomorrow; she had a presentation she had to give at a meeting first thing in the morning. She turned the light off on her nightstand and nestled into her pillow as she closed her eyes._

_The sound of the door opening startled her, though she kept her eyes closed. She didn't need to open them to see who it was. She heard the door close, as well as the rustling of Vegeta undressing himself. Her heart was trouncing violently against her chest as she waited for him to get into bed beside her, and once he finally did heat began to sprout inside her core as his bare leg came into contact with the back of her thigh. Oh God. He was __**naked. **__That damn, sexy bastard._

_She then felt him stealthily shift even closer to her, his fingers tightening around her hips, pressing her back against his sturdy chest. He kissed her neck ever so softly, his tongue caressing her subtle skin. His hands began to slide up her body, stopping to squeeze her ample breasts, smirking as a breathless, sensual moan sounded from Bulma. "I thought you said I needed to rest" she squeaked, squirming around slightly as he began to kiss her jawline._

"_Hn. I just take pleasure in seeing you get so easily worked up, woman," he whispered, turning her head towards him._

_A low, pleasing sigh escaped her as he nibbled on her bottom lip, sucking on it momentarily before pulling away, and then retreated onto his side, baring his back to her. Her breathing was uneven as she observed him. Goddammit, he knew JUST what to do to get her all riled up. She pushed her bangs out of her eyes, though they immediately fell back into her line of vision. As she continued to gaze at him, the three words she had yet to say to him came to the forefront of her mind, not allowing her to think about anything else. Was now even the right time to say that to him? He did seem to be in a good mood, well, as good of a mood as Vegeta could get. Why was she so damn afraid to say this to him!? She had been with the man for years, and knew him just as well as he knew himself. It was killing her to not declare these feelings to him. She knew she wasn't going to get some sweet, romantic answer in return from him, but screw it. She was going to tell him for herself, so that she could finally get it off her chest, and to hell with the consequences._

"_I love you. . ."_

_Her voice was barely audible when she said it, but Vegeta had excellent hearing so she knew he caught wind of it. A choked sound of confusion was made by the prince, and she could see the muscles in his back twitch. For the longest time he made no movement, and Bulma was prepared to just go to sleep, until he finally repositioned himself so that he was facing her, his face completely absent of any emotion._

"_Bulma. . .do you realize what you just said?"_

"_Yes, or else I wouldn't have said it." _

_No one in his entire existence had ever said anything like that to him. Not once. And he didn't know how to feel. He was not lovable, by any means. He had done many cruel things in his life, and he was beyond selfish. He wasn't a caring person, nor was he the warmest person to be around. He could accept and admit all these things about himself. So why in the hell did Bulma claim to. . .love him? "You are absolutely crazy, even more so than I originally thought," he breathed out, racking a hand through his wild mane. _

"_Maybe I am. But what I said is true. I don't bullshit around with those three words," she responded with a small grin, her eyes meeting his._

_He didn't answer for a few minutes, his mind replaying her words over and over again. They were married, and he had made a commitment to stay with her for the remainder of his life, but he wasn't sure if he was ever capable of allowing himself to completely be opened to such tender emotions. He wasn't the same man he was when he first arrived on Earth, that much was true, but his guard was still up. A part of him was still clinging onto to his former self, wanting to go back to his old ways, free of her influence. Yet this other side of him found himself easing more and more into this role of a husband, and he was starting to find this planet not as appalling as before. And it was all because of her. She for whatever reason cared deeply for him and showed it without shame, even around her friends, who he knew probably were still puzzled by their union. But she sure as hell didn't care about anyone else's opinions, and she had always taken up for him, even at periods of time where he treated her like shit. He had no idea why any higher power had brought her into his life, but he couldn't lie that he was grateful for it. That thought made him flinch, as it was the first time he had ever admitted anything like that to himself._

_He looked at her out of the corner of his eye, catching a glimpse of how she was biting on her lip, something she only did when she was nervous. He opened his mouth to say something, but his voice refused to cooperate. _

"_It's okay, Vegeta, you don't have to say anything. I just wanted you to know," she uttered with an understanding smile. Her eyes then closed to go to sleep, but her heart skipped several beats as she was graced with the balminess of his lips against hers. Before she had time to deepen the kiss, he pulled back, but his face was free of his usual grim expression. Instead he looked content, which caused her eyes to shimmer as brightly as any diamond could ever hope to. "I love you," she whispered again, her fingers tracing the smooth surface of his cheek. Her lips caressed the area she had just touched, and then she kissed his mouth in a much more heated manner than she originally meant to, her tongue shamelessly rubbing against his bottom lip. Vegeta more than willingly obliged, and before they both knew it their tongues were in an impassioned battle._

_Vegeta was more than surprised at how freely he had given into her, and he could feel his guard slipping away with every carnal interaction of their tongues. He had spent years building up all the many layers of protection around his heart, but this human woman was chipping away at all of it, and that frightened him. He was determined to spend his whole life without ever caring for another, and yet now he found himself showing affection for a woman that he used to have to restrain himself from strangling. Everything he had once believed she had disproven easily. There was just something about her that he couldn't explain; he was drawn to her, and nothing could stop it. All she had to do was touch or kiss him like she was now, and every time he sensed his resolve weakening, unable to deny how heady her allure was. And it wasn't just physical. He felt connected to her in a way that he never imagined possible. He wanted to protect her, to be around her. She was the only person that could ever make him feel this way. __**Ever**__. _

_They pulled back from each other when air became a priority, their eyes never breaking contact. Bulma soon found her eyelids struggling to stay open, though she did her best to remain awake. Vegeta noticed her exhaustion and pulled her to him, his hands settling on her back as he submerged his face into her sleek hair. He could've sworn it felt softer than usual, resulting in him rubbing his cheek against it. Bulma grinned from ear to ear as she pressed her face against his chest, the sound of his heart beat echoing in her ears. Vegeta hadn't said he loved her back, but she was okay with that, especially after the moment they just shared. He didn't need to say anything; she already knew the truth. And that was more than enough for her._

*end of flashback*

Bulma smiled, her heart content for the first time in days. Yes, she loved her prince. And she couldn't wait to see what would happen when he would finally return to her.

"I believe in you, Vegeta," she whispered, knowing that wherever he was he could hear her. "I can't wait to see you again."

* * *

A/N: I have always loved Bulma's Buu saga haircut, and I always wondered why she cut it that way, so I came up with this idea hehe. She did keep it that length for the rest of DBZ, as well as in the most recent movies so I thought it would be cute if that reason was because Vegeta liked it on her. Anyway, the next chapter will be the last, but it will be rather long and include a lemon so I hope you guys will like it. I need to update my other fic "Thank You" next since I have been asked by many to do so, so hopefully I will do that in the next few days, and then have this story finished in the next couple of weeks. Thank you to everyone for being patient with me; I know I'm not the fastest updater out there. As always, please let me know your thoughts, I love feedback (:


	5. Forever

Chapter Five: Forever

**YET ANOTHER LEMON HAS HAD TO BE CENSORED IN THIS CHAPTER :(((**

A/N: Well, you guys, this is the end. T_T I have truly enjoyed every moment I spent writing this, and without a doubt I believe this is my best work thus far. When I looked back recently on some of my older stories I cringed because my characterizations weren't as great as they could have been, and my descriptions were lacking. But now, I think I've really shown improvement with this fic, and I'm so eager to write more Vegebul fics in the future. Thank you to all of you who have been loyal to this story, I truly from the bottom of my heart appreciate it, and I thank you for taking time to read this, as well as reviewing, favoriting, and alerting. I hope you guys will enjoy this chapter, and I hope you will send me feedback when you've finished reading :))

Disclaimer: I do not own DBZ or any of its characters.

* * *

It was over.

After what felt like one hundred years of continuous fighting, the battle with Kid Buu had finally come to an end. The pink monster wasn't regenerating like all the other times; his reign of terror was no more. The universe was at peace once again.

Vegeta lifted his eyes up to the purple sky above him, taking it all in. There was no longer a halo floating over his head; he was now once again living and breathing. Only the evilest of beings had not been wished back with the Dragon Balls, so that meant Vegeta was officially "good". It was quite the realization for the Saiyan Prince, who at one point in time had spent his days killing innocents all over the universe without any shame. With his life now back in his grasp, he knew that things would be different from now on; he had no doubt about that. He didn't plan on being so uptight with certain things, as he now saw how precious his time spent in the living realm was. The sheer hatred he used to have for his fellow full-blooded Saiyan had also seemed to diminish, accepting that Kakarot was now the best, and he was honestly at ease with acknowledging that fact. His life-long, obsessive goal of being the strongest warrior alive no longer appealed to him like it used to. There were much more important things in life.

That part of himself that he had battled with for over a decade that wanted to go back to causing chaos and inflicting pain on others was now officially dead. He had given into that darkness that had lingered at the depths of his heart, believing only a few days ago that he was truly at his core an evil soul, but after all that had happened, he now saw that he was genuinely reformed.

And he knew exactly who he had to thank for that.

He was going home to a family. . ._his _family. They meant the world to him, and now, for the first time in his existence, he no longer felt weak for admitting it felt good to care and be cared for by others.

Yes, things truly would change in this renewed life of his. He would make sure of it.

* * *

_Where is he?_

_. . ._

_Shouldn't he be here by now?_

_. . ._

_Buu is dead, there's no reason it should be taking him this long._

_. . ._

_Oh, where the fucking hell is he?!_

Bulma's mind wouldn't shut off as she stood next to Chi-Chi on the Lookout, the younger woman attempting to engage in conversation with her about their husbands being responsible for saving the world, but Bulma was too anxious to actively listen. All she wanted to do was see Vegeta and hug him as tightly as she possibly could and kiss him and fu-

_Maybe I need to wait until we're _alone_ before I get myself too worked up._

Vegeta absolutely detested public displays of affection, so she would have to muster up all the self-control she possessed to not smother him in kisses. Restraining herself for the time being would only make their alone time more worthwhile.

Everyone around her got silent, and she looked ahead at where their attention was directed. The blood in her heart began to pump faster as her eyes landed on her husband, a dazzling smile instantly appearing on her face. _He's here. . .finally. . ._

Trunks raced passed her towards Vegeta, and she followed behind him at a slower pace, unable to keep up with her son's speed. Her heart felt like it was as about to burst as Trunks clung onto his father, a tender smile appearing on her face. Her little family was back together, and she couldn't remember another time in her life where she felt as content as she did in that moment. She stepped closer towards Vegeta and remembered her internal vow she made to refrain from extreme physical contact, opting to give him a wink and a thumbs-up, which earned a soft grunt from him.

After a surprise appearance from Majin Buu, which left everyone nearly shitting themselves until Goku informed them that he was now harmless, everyone prepared to go their separate ways, though they all planned on meeting up for a party at Bulma's house within the next few days. The Son family teleported away, except for Gohan who flew off with Videl, both teenagers blushing and giggling as they did so. Bulma was preparing to open up the capsule that contained her hover jet, but she paused once she felt Vegeta's gloved hand cover hers. Blue met with black as they stared at each other, and before Bulma could get a word out, Vegeta scooped her up into his arms and took off into the sky, with Trunks following closely behind.

The wind made it unbearable for her to keep her eyes opened, resulting in her face finding shelter against his chest, a sigh passing her lips as his warmth transferred onto her. It felt so undeniably good to be held by him again; she couldn't hide her giddiness as she caressed the muscles of his impeccable physique, feeling his heartbeat tripling with every touch of her hands. He shifted her in his arms so that his grip was sturdier, his eyes glancing downward at her, her face hidden from view as she nuzzled his chest. His mouth became dry, knowing he had to say something to her after all that had occurred. But that was the issue: he didn't _know_ what to say. Verbal communication had always been a shortcoming of his; he always preferred to let his actions get his point across.

But, this was a time where he knew he needed to speak, to let his mate know the reasons behind some of the choices he made the last couple of days. And to assure her that the same mistakes would never be repeated again. He exhaled a puff of air as Capsule Corp. came into view, making a beeline for the dome-shaped building.

Perhaps taking some time to himself to gather his thoughts would be best before speaking with Bulma. He wanted to make sure that for once in his life he said the right things. She deserved to hear them.

* * *

A few hours later, Bulma was standing at the kitchen sink, scrubbing away on a dirty dish. Since returning home things had been. . .well, rather odd. Vegeta hadn't said a word, which honestly wasn't different from any other day, but he kept walking around with the most solemn expression she had ever seen. It baffled her; shouldn't he be in rather good spirits? He was alive and breathing, and he had even helped save the entire universe (hell, he was the one that came up with the brilliant idea to use the Spirit Bomb), so there was no real reason for him to be acting in such a brooding manner. But this was Vegeta she was talking about, and even though she knew him better than anyone else could ever hope to, he was still an enigma at times. The day she had him completely figured out would be when Dende granted her physic powers.

She heard footsteps behind her, prompting her to turn around and catch Vegeta walking past her, not even bothering to send her a glance. "Where are you going?" she asked over her shoulder, dropping the dish down into the soapy water.

He stopped in the doorframe, a muscle in his jaw twitching at her question. The look he directed at her was a bemused one, his dark, fathomless eyes seeming to be in a daze. "I'll be back," was his only reply, and he then exited through the front door, shutting it behind him before taking off into the sky.

"Well, _that_ didn't really answer my question," Bulma muttered under her breath, reaching a damp hand up to her head to brush her bangs out of her eyes.

"He's probably just going off to that same mountaintop he goes to when he wants to be alone," Trunks answered as he came up beside her, handing her his plate that he had licked clean, feeling stuffed from the huge meal Mrs. Briefs had prepared for them all. Well, he thought as he looked up at the counter and saw a plate of chocolate chip cookies his grandmother had baked, maybe he wasn't _that _full.

Bulma glanced down curiously at her son. "How do you know that?"

Trunks stuffed a cookie into his mouth before answering. "Mom, I can sense ki. I think I would know."

"Right, right," she mumbled, wiping his dish off with a sponge.

"I hope he won't be gone for a long time. . ."

The dejected tone in his usually playful voice caught her attention. She placed the plate down into the sink and wiped her hands off with a nearby dishrag. She squatted down so that they were on the same eyelevel, and placed a hand on his shoulder, a kindhearted smile on her face. "He'll be back sweetie, you heard him. I know. . .I know everything that happened these last few days was really overwhelming. And I know it was especially hard on you when your dad. . ."

When she couldn't bring herself to say the word Trunks merely nodded, his azure eyes hollow as he remembered how sick to his stomach he had felt when he was informed of his father's passing. He never wanted to go through that again; he couldn't even bear the thought of not having his dad in his life.

"I just don't want something like that to happen to Dad again," he whispered, not even daring to let tears fall. He knew Vegeta wouldn't like him crying over this.

Bulma reached up and stroked his cheek, her eyes gentle as she observed how he was desperately trying to keep himself from getting overemotional. The reverence Trunks had for his father had only grown exponentially in the last couple of days, and she knew he was afraid of losing him again. "Trunks, sweetheart, you have nothing to worry about. Your dad will be around for a very long time, I promise."

Trunks nodded and reluctantly accepted a kiss on his forehead from his mother before she stood back up. He popped another cookie into his mouth and then let out a loud yawn, his eyes suddenly becoming groggy. Bulma chuckled in response, ruffling his soft lavender hair. "I think it's time for you to get ready for bed. Your sleeping schedule has been atrocious these last few days."

"Yeaaaah," Trunks grumbled, wanting nothing more than to spend the rest of the night playing his treasured video games, but he knew it wouldn't be much longer before he passed out.

"I'll be up in a minute to tuck you in," she informed him, earning a curt nod from her son.

After glancing at her wristwatch, she exhaled deeply, seeing that it was 8:30 PM. Surely Vegeta wouldn't be gone much longer. . .right?

_Goddammit, that stubborn man. . ._

* * *

It was now 11:00 PM, and Vegeta had yet to return, much to his wife's dismay. Bulma sat on the living room couch, a glass of wine in one hand and the tv remote in the other as she mindlessly flipped through the channels. She refused to go to sleep until her husband returned so she was doing the best that she could to entertain herself, and while nothing on the television was capturing her attention, the tall glass of wine was certainly doing the trick. She finally settled on some romance movie and leaned back against the couch, taking a generous sip of the divine liquid. Patience was never her forte, but she knew she had to be understanding when it came to Vegeta; there were so many times over the past ten years when she could have just said to hell with him altogether. However, she knew that being patient with him and his ways would be worth it, and right now she would have to be forbearing, even though it was driving her mad.

The last few days were life-changing for everyone, especially for the Saiyan Prince, who had definitely undergone the most significant transformation. The last few years she had spent with him had brought about some of her very best memories, and she knew he cared for her, but he still was hesitant about fully accepting his position on Earth as a husband and father. She realized that was his reasoning for giving in to Babidi, in attempt to revert back to his former selfish behaviors. Yet, she could see on his face when they had first returned home that he regretted his actions, and was perhaps even embarrassed. He was wrestling with the guilt he felt, and she wanted him to know that he didn't need to; she forgave him for everything. They deserved to start a new chapter in their relationship, and she didn't want him to be hung-up on the past.

She chugged the last of her wine and set the glass down on the coffee table, a soft yawn passing her lips as she did so. She stretched out and rested her head on the arm of the sofa, the soft glow of the television lulling her to sleep, though her eyelids protested.

"I can't go to sleep until Vegeta gets hom-" she didn't even finish the sentence before passing out.

The next time her eyes opened, she found herself in the bed she shared with Vegeta, the covers placed delicately over her body. She glanced at the clock on the nearby nightstand, finding it to be 12:30 AM. "Did I drink that much wine that I don't even remember walking up here?" she murmured, running a hand through her short-trimmed hair. The sound of water running from their private bathroom gave her the answer, sighing in relief at the fact that Vegeta was now home. "About goddamn time," she muttered, getting out of the bed so that she could change out of her clothes. It felt so liberating to finally be free from the bounds of her skin-tight red dress, although she knew she looked damn good in it. But wearing the same thing for multiple days in a row was not her style, so it would be a while before she would don it again.

She tossed the dress down onto the floor, which she knew would piss the neat freak that was the Prince of all Saiyans off, but she felt too lazy to walk over to the hamper across the room so he would just have to get over it. She snapped her bra off, flinging it to the ground next to the dress, and her underwear quickly followed suit. Before she was able to step into fresh pajamas, the bathroom door opened and a very naked Vegeta appeared before her, his hair still slightly damp from his shower. She couldn't tear her eyes away from his bare form, even though it was a sight she had seen countless times before. He was just so handsome; she couldn't help herself.

Vegeta himself was having a hard time looking away from his wife, his arousal building slowly as his eyes landed on her exposed chest. "What are you doing walking around in the nude?" he asked her, thinking that she would be passed out for a long while after witnessing how she had barely flinched in her sleep when he brought her up to bed after returning home.

"I should be asking you the same thing," she winked, her heart throbbing in her chest as he began to walk towards her.

No words came out of his mouth as he stood in front of her, their chests barely touching. He stared at her silently for a moment, his eyes flickering over every inch of her nude figure, her breath vanishing beneath his smoldering gaze. Bulma didn't even give him time to react before crushing her lips to his, a muffled groan sounding from him at her actions. The kiss didn't last as long as Vegeta would have liked it to, and he narrowed his eyes slightly as she pulled back. She rested both of her hands against his chest as she gaped up at him, his dark orbs feeling as though they were drowning in that deep sea of blue.

"So where have you been?" she quizzed, biting down on her moist lip.

"I needed to be alone in order to think things over."

"Think what over exactly?"

Vegeta released a grunt and ran a hand down the side of his face. He found himself not wanting to speak and ignore her question; he wanted to attend to _other_ matters at the moment. Talking openly was something he would have avoided in the past, but things were different now. He was different. All of this change would take some getting used to, but he was willing to try, for her if anything. "Are you angry with me?" he asked, placing his hands on her shoulders.

"What would I be angry about?" she inquired with a quirked eyebrow. A hard look was the only response she got from him, and after thinking it over in her head she realized what he was referring to. "Oh, you mean that. . .I won't lie, I was really hurt by the way you behaved at the tournament. It made me feel like you didn't give a damn about me, or Trunks."

"That's not true," he answered in a raspy voice.

"Then why did you do it, Vegeta? You can tell me. I promise I won't judge you," she assured him, brushing a hand through his thick hair.

_Dammit. . ._

He had spent hours away from his family planning on what he would say when that question would be asked, and now his mind was going blank. As he stared down at her, he could easily see the pleading lurking in her eyes for an answer. She was the most precious thing in the world to him, and yet he had gone behind her back, bringing her so much pain as he gave in to the wickedness in his heart. It was killing him to even think about it. How could he have been so foolish?

And how could she _not _judge him for it? She was standing before him, completely accepting all of his faults without even batting an eye. That was one of the reasons why he cared so much for her; she never judged him, despite having every right to. He never wanted to put her through something like that again, to make her think he couldn't care less about her. He now had a conscience, and he wouldn't be able to live with himself if he ever made her feel such a way again.

"I. . .thought that reawaking the evil in my heart was what I wanted. Before I came to Earth I only lived for myself; I never gave a shit about anything or anyone else. Then you. . .you came along. You altered something inside of me, and for a long while I honestly hated the influence this planet was having on me. I despised living a mediocre life and wanted to go back to my glory days. But after all that has transpired the last few days. . .I see that I really have changed for the better, and perhaps it's not such a bad thing."

He took a deep breath before speaking again, his eyes full of emotion that he, for the first time ever, didn't bother hiding. "I'm. . .I'm sorry, Bulma."

The remorse was clearly displayed in his dark eyes, and she smiled up at him, her heart fluttering. In all the years she had known Vegeta he had never ONCE apologized for a goddamn thing, and now here he was. She knew how hard it must have been for him to say it, and she couldn't help but sigh in content. All those many years of patience and resilience with him had really paid off. She took one of his hands in hers and squeezed it tightly before speaking.

"Hey, don't worry about it anymore, okay? I forgive you, and it's behind us now. I know it won't happen again."

He nodded at her words, his attention on their interlaced fingers. It was ironic how turning Majin had made him finally realize how much his family meant to him, and how this breathtaking woman in front of him meant more to him than anything else in the entire universe. He had experienced death twice, and now this was his third shot at living, in a way he never had before. What was that Earthling saying? Third time's the charm?

This was a new beginning for them, and he planned on making the most of every second he spent with his family. He wasn't perfect by any means whatsoever, and he knew he would fuck up from time to time, but he was determined to make amends for his past errors. He wasn't going to let this opportunity pass him by.

"I'm just so thankful you're alive," she spoke again as he was lost in his own thoughts. "When Goku said you were dead I. . .I just. . ."

The memories of that day on the Lookout seized her memory, and she was unable to restrain her tears, much like that very day she learned the dreadful news.

Vegeta's jaw hung slightly opened as she began to shake, her rosy cheeks tainted with moisture. He had never seen her so upset. And it was all over _him_. "Bulma. . .there is no need to get so emotional."

She hiccupped and pressed her face into his shoulder. "I'm sorry, I don't mean to get all upset. It just killed me to think that you were gone and never coming back. I can't live without you, and I seriously mean that." She had always been the more open one when it came to feelings and confessing them, yet even she had too much pride to admit certain things. But now, she didn't care. She wanted him to know just how much she truly loved him.

His face softened at her words, a ghost of a rare, authentic smile on his face. He reached down and cupped her chin, and she melted beneath his fervid gaze, her knees wreaking. "I'm here to stay, you have my word."

"I love you, Vegeta," she uttered as he kissed her forehead gently before moving down to the crook of her neck, his nostrils filling with her heavenly scent, instantly intoxicating him. Her tiny hands rested on either side of his face, bending his head down so that she could capture his lips with hers.

The kiss they exchanged was slow at first, his mouth grazing over hers as his hands ran up and down the curve of her hips. The second that Vegeta's tongue tickled her lower lip, things immediately took a blistering turn, and before she could even say a word he was backing her up towards the bed, never once breaking the kiss. Once the back of her knees met the edge of the bed, he practically leapt on top of her, knocking her down onto the mattress, her nails pressing into his skin all the while. The animalistic kiss became even more heated when Vegeta tugged on a clump of her hair as he positioned himself above her, and she sensually moaned into his mouth in response. He wasn't trying to be so rough, but he couldn't help himself. He had always craved her body, her presence. But he had never before _needed_ her as much as he did presently. His old self would be shaking his head in disgust at how weak he was acting over a human woman, but he didn't give a damn.

{**LEMON HAS BEEN CENSORED, WHICH SUCKS B/C THIS ONE IS MY PERSONAL FAVORITE :(( PLEASE READ IT ON A03**}

_Holy shit. . .that was incredible. . .even more mind-blowing than usual._

Vegeta rolled over, pulling out of her as he did so, and rested his back against the mattress, wiping the sweat off his forehead with the back of his hand. Bulma laid beside him, her body adorned with a mix of sweat and Vegeta's hot saliva from where he had kissed her all over. Without looking over at him, she reached out and touched his chiseled chest, fingering the hard surface. "Mmm. . .I want more. . .a lot more," she spoke in a husky tone.

She heard him let out a short bout of laughter, the rare sound making her beam. "Show me exactly what you crave more of," he challenged in a hot voice, turning his body so that his face was now only an inch from hers. A fire spread inside of her at his words, his thumb rubbing over the dampened area between her thighs to arouse her even more, a teasing smirk on his face as he watched how she was barely able to compose herself. "You sexy asshole," she breathed out, yanking him down on top of her. With a snicker, he accepted a greedy kiss from her, eagerly anticipating what would be the second round of many that night.

* * *

Five hours later, after acquiring only one single hour of sleep, Bulma was awakened as she felt Vegeta devour her neck with his lips, his hand massaging one of her breasts. Well, wasn't he bold? She peaked at the clock on her night stand, the red digits informing her that it was 7 AM. Hmm, that's interesting, she thought to herself. Vegeta usually was up and training by this time. She squealed when she felt his erected manhood brush up against her thigh, and that same familiar passion she knew she would never grow tired of began to overtake her. So much so that she turned over and practically pounced on top of the Saiyan Prince, earning an amused chuckle from him as their lips came into contact.

A low moan was produced from her as his hands gripped onto her behind, his fingers digging into her firm skin as he playful squeezed her.

"Mmm. . .Vegeta."

Their kiss ended as Vegeta pulled back to gaze at her, his dark eyes glancing over the features of her face that he had come to memorize over the last decade. She wasn't as young as she was when they had first gotten together, but she was still beautiful nonetheless. And he knew that even as she continued to age that would never change. He brought a hand to her cheek, his rough fingertips brushing so lightly against her skin that it caused her to sigh blissfully, her heart rate intensifying.

Just a mere day ago he had been dead, separated from his family until he was privileged enough to live again. Today, he was here, in bed with his wife. It was harrowing to think about, how if things hadn't have worked out they would continue to be apart. He shook his head at that thought, not even wanting to entertain the what-ifs. All that mattered was they were together now, and he would do everything in his power to make sure that nothing would ever again take him away from her. She was his life; she was the reason he wanted to exist in this very moment. He cared so much for her, more than he would ever verbalize to her. But he knew she understood his true feelings for her; they were connected so deeply that words weren't even needed between the two of them. That's why she was his mate, because she knew him better than anyone else ever would. They were the perfect match, and he was no longer hesitant to admit that to himself.

His thoughts ceased as Bulma began kissing his neck, her gentle lips against his hard skin causing a jolt of electricity to dash up and down his spine. She was so delicate with her actions, her tongue lightly darting out to get a better taste of him. He could feel his ab muscles instantly contract as her lips traveled farther down south, and a groan he couldn't smother escaped him as she reached her destination.

{**CENSORED**}

"Hmm?" Her voice was seductive as she lifted her head up to look at him with zealous blue eyes, her lips formed into a smirk that rivaled one of his own.

"Come here," he responded, gesturing upward with his hand. He wanted to bring her just as much satisfaction as she had brought him in that moment.

Without any hesitation, Bulma slowly crawled up to him, their eyes never breaking contact all the while. Vegeta smashed his lips to hers once she finally reached him, not even giving her time to blink. His hands roamed over her warm skin before meshing their bodies together, her breasts nearly crushing his chest.

"I love you. I love you so much," her voice cracking with the last word she spoke, her eyes watering up.

"Dammit, woman, no more crying," he said with a roll of his eyes, though his tone wasn't as harsh as usual as he wiped her tears away with his thumb. "You cried enough yesterday to fill every ocean on this planet."

Bulma chuckled and pressed her lips briefly to his cheek, her tears decreasing as he dragged a hand lightly up and down her back, soothing her in a rare gesture of comfort. Though she had the sneaking suspicion that displays of affection like this wouldn't be as taboo for him anymore, not after all they had been through the past couple of days. "Sorry. I guess I'm still just a little emotional after everything that happened."

"Well, don't be. I told you last night that you have nothing to fret over. Don't doubt my words."

"I could never doubt you," she replied sincerely against his lips, her voice so alluring that it caused him to shiver, not even bothering to suppress it.

Their lips became locked in another passionate exchange, their tongues dancing together as they teased each other with their hands, stroking and grabbing sensitive places they knew would drive the other crazy.

As they began making love all over again, a realization Vegeta had desperately in years past tried to ignore finally struck him. He knew he belonged here, on Earth, with this beautiful woman and their son. There was no more denying it, or trying to fight against what he felt for his family. Never again would he question it. And that was a thought that genuinely, for the first time in his life, brought him true joy and peace.

-The End-


End file.
